Summer's Last Adventure
by tiger002
Summary: Lloyd had an idea for one last adventure before school started, and decided to make Genis come. What they would find would change not only them but the entire world. AU, earth
1. Chapter 1: Noxap

A/N: Before you read anything, know that this story takes place on earth, with some of the ToS characters. Until the story begins, they are just normal people, or as normal as Genis and Lloyd could get. I keep the characters histories as similar as possible without making things completely unrealistic.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters but the world to a degree and the story I do.

"Genis come on, nothing bad will happen," Lloyd told his friend.

"I don't know Lloyd, Raine will get mad at us if we sneak out," Genis replied.

"Come on, she has been asleep for over an hour. We just sneak out the window, and make sure we don't stay too long and then get back before she gets up in the mourning," Lloyd said.

"Maybe, but something could go wrong and she would find out."

"And maybe a tornado could come and destroy this room. If we leave then we will be safe," Lloyd countered.

"Do you have any idea how absurd your argument is?" the younger boy replied.

"Do you have any idea how dull you are being? School starts next week and we need to have some fun before it begins."

"School can be fun," Genis said.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"More fun then Raine's punishment if we get caught sneaking out."

"It's not like we are doing anything bad. We are just going to the supposed haunted cemetery." Lloyd went to the window and opened it. A warm summer's breeze filled the room. "So you sure you don't want to come?"

"No, it's just not worth it," Genis said firmly. The older one would not be beat so easily.

"Well if that's the way you want it," Lloyd said walking away from the window and back to his friend sitting on the bed, "then I am taking you anyway," he said as he grabbed the boy's waist and lifted him of the bed. He ran to the window and jumped, and the two of them went through the window. Lloyd's knees bent sharply as they landed on the ground, after falling two stories.

"You idiot, what are you doing?" Genis yelled once they were out of the house.

"Going to the cemetery with my best friend," Lloyd answered with a smirk across his face. The younger boy sighed. "You can't go back yet. You know you can't get back through the two-story window without my help and you don't want to wake your sister up by ringing the doorbell.

"This better not take long", the silver haired boy said.

"Don't worry; this will be fun." Genis wasn't sure that he would enjoy this as much as Lloyd thought.

They walked through the dark streets with their path illuminated only by the stars and moon. Genis, and his older sister Raine, lived away in the suburbs, away from the big city. She was a respected teacher at the local high school where Lloyd attended. Genis would be starting at the school in the fall, even though he was only 13. Lloyd lived less then a mile away from them and had become friends with Genis shortly after the siblings moved into town about 8 years ago.

The two arrived at the rusted front gate of the cemetery. Through the dim moonlight, they looked across the graveyard. Everything seemed normal. An orderly dirt path led to the graves with the fancier tombs lining the front.

"Let's go Genis," he said, motioning his friend to follow.

"Uh… Alright," he responded with his voice shaking.

"What are you worried about? Nothing bad will happen."

"You say that now."

They slowly walked into the foreboding cemetery with Genis following a few steps behind his friend. Surrounding the cemetery was a dreary forest. Many of the trees near the forest had long since died, adding to the aura of fear that encompassed the place. As the two were investigating the graveyard, an ancient branch swung in between the two. The unwilling companion was filled with dread at the sight and unsteadily crept backwards until tripping on a protruding root. With the loss of his balance, Genis fell and slid along the rough ground several feet until knocking his head against a tombstone. After his breath returned to him, he sat up and moved his hand to the back of his head. He was thankful to feel no blood but he knew that the pain would be there for a while.

Lloyd laughed at his clumsy friend, walked over, and offered him a hand up. As Genis rose to his feet, he decided to never go along with Lloyd's ideas again.

"Can we go home yet?"

"Just a little bit longer. We haven't seen any ghosts yet."

"You say that like it a bad thing. It is all probably just a superstition."

"Then why are you so afraid of this place?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm not afraid," he lied. Lloyd was satisfied with the response and continued to explore the graves. After inspecting the tombstones along the perimeter of the graveyard, Lloyd lost interest in the place.

"This is boring," he commented.

Genis was relived at the comment. "I'm surprised that you lose interest so quickly in things," for once Lloyd's short attention span was a good thing. "I thought for sure you would want to explore the large tomb in the back." Lloyd turned to look at the large monument behind him and Genis hated himself for that last comment.

"Good idea," Lloyd said as Genis hit himself in the face. "Come on Genis," he said as he ran to the large tomb. Genis reluctantly followed, being careful not to trip over any more roots.

When they reached the large grave, the noticed that it stood over 10 feet tall. Using the pale moon light, along with their hands to examine it, and they noticed that it was made of smooth stone. The dim lighting made it difficult to make out any writing on it but they saw a faded inscription. When they reached the side that was in the tombs shadow, Genis noticed an opening in the stone.

"Lloyd, look," he commented. The older boy moved his hands down, and noticed the hole as well. It reached nearly three feet off the ground and was about half that distance across.

"Well go inside," Lloyd said.

"Why should I do it?" he sternly said.

"Because you are the shorter one and could fit easier."

"It's your idea."

"Fine, but you have to follow me or I will leave you outside till morning," Lloyd threatened. Genis agreed knowing that he had no other choice. Lloyd dropped to his knees and crawled through the small opening. Inside the monument, not a shred of light could be seen and Lloyd did not know what was an inch in front of his face. "Wow it's dark in here," he commented.

"And here I thought a light would just turn on when you entered," Genis said sarcastically from outside.

In an attempt to remove the darkness, Lloyd reached back to his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He opened it and the light illuminated his path. He saw that he was standing on a platform and in front of him was an old looking, flight of stairs. He saw that it led somewhere in the distance but the light did not shine far enough to notice its length. Briefly, he considered the safety of going down the stairs but he quickly disregarded the thought, and instead he turned and told Genis to come into the grave with him. Lloyd crawled down a few steps to make room for his companion.

Genis mumbled something about the lack of Lloyd's common sense as he entered the room. After Genis saw the small part of the path illumined, he wondered where it went. "This is strange," he said curiously.

"Told you this could be exciting," Lloyd said as he continued to crawl down the stairs while holding out his phone to illuminate the path. He found that crawling down stairs with only one hand was difficult and nearly lost his balance several times. Genis followed behind Lloyd but only needed to crouch while walking down the steps instead of crawling, due to his smaller size. He routinely mocked the taller boy's size and difficulty. After climbing down about a dozen or so stairs, the ceiling leveled off some, while the steps continued to descend. This made the arduous climb slightly more comfortable.

"What could be down here?" Genis asked.

"Some kind of treasure I bet. Just think about it, we will be rich. It has to be something good if they would hide it like this."

"This place still creeps me out."

"We will be fine. What is the worse that could happen?"

"This whole place could cave in on us," Genis stated.

"Even worse, Raine could find us." Genis chuckled at the comment, but acknowledged its truth.

"Hey Lloyd, you charged your phone recently didn't you?" Genis asked.

Lloyd's eyes widened greatly at the question. "Yea, of course," he said, not admitting his forgetfulness.

"Well if the phone ran out of power when we are down here, we would have no way to see our way out."

"Come on Genis, you worry too much," Lloyd said. Even though he refused to admit it, the same worry came over him.

"Well okay," Genis said, "I just don't want to this be like the time we were stuck in that tree for 4 hours because of someone's phone running out of power."

After a descent that seemed like a short eternity, the ground below them leveled out. The path widened and they stood in a small room. The room revealed its age, with cobwebs abounding and a think layer of dirt covering the stone floor. At the opposite side of the room, lay a coffin. It was made of gold and shined brightly when Lloyd focused the light of his phone on it. The two walked across the room and to the object to examine it closer. It appeared to be crafted by a master with many decorations. In the middle of it an inscription was carved.

_The brightest flame and the crimson streakUnited shall perform the greatest feat._

_As silver comes where love shall be_

_The bond shall awaken and all shall see_

"_What do you think it means?" Lloyd asked, baffled by the words._

"_I don't know," Genis said._

"_I thought you knew everything."_

"_Just because I actually like to learn, does not mean I know everything."_

"_Well maybe there is a hint around here somewhere," Lloyd said as he walked around the coffin to examine for any odd features. Genis continued to contemplate the inscription as he kneeled down and felt around it for anything unusual. Lloyd gave up on finding anything and kneeled down beside his friend, deciding to just let Genis decipher it._

"_Lloyd, hold your phone up to the inscription again."_

"_Like this?" he said as the phone illumined the words._

"_Yea," he said as he lifted his hand to feel it again, "All the words are smooth and around it is too. However there are two small grooves right above it," he said as he held his hand up to them. "They feel like some kind of latch but they don't budge when I try moving them."_

"_So if we manage to move them then something will happen."_

"_Probably, but I have no idea what it might be."_

"_Well let me try then," Lloyd said. The two stood up and Lloyd handed his phone to Genis, who held it while Lloyd tried pulling against the latch. After exerting the most powerful force that he could, the brown-haired person gave up with no progress. "It won't budge," he mumbled._

"_Maybe it's not meant to be moved," Genis suggested._

"_We can't give up yet. It has to be here for a reason. Why don't we each try grabbing onto one?"_

"_I guess it can't hurt," Genis said as he walked to the one on the right and Lloyd took the latch on the left. Genis set the phone on the ground between them._

"_Okay, on the count of three. One," They grabbed on with both hands, "two," Lloyd held one foot against the coffin for more power while Genis gave him a strange look, "three!" They pulled with all the force that they could muster. As they did this, the coffin itself began to glow in a faint red aura. "Keep going," Lloyd said. The continued to try pulling up on the object, but once again nothing moved. The two's hands simultaneously slipped of the handle, throwing the pair back slightly as they fell over. The glow faded and nothing seemed to have changed. Then Lloyd said, "It seemed like we were so close to someth"_

"_Lloyd!" Genis screamed interrupting him. Lloyd turned and saw Genis' hand was on fire. Genis was franticly shaking his hand in the air and against the rock to put out the fire. The blaze soon faded to their relief. _

"_Genis are you alight?" Lloyd said panicked as he ran over to his friend. *crack* the dim light swiftly faded from the room._

"_You just stepped on the phone didn't you?" Genis asked, knowing the answer._

"_Maybe," Lloyd replied._

"_So do you have any idea how we will get out of here?" Genis asked._

"_So is your hand okay?" Lloyd asked, trying to change the subject._

"_Yea it is. I don't know why but the fire did not burn me any. I would know more if I could see in here," he answered._

"_Well try setting your hand on fire again," Lloyd said jokingly._

"_How did that happen the first time?" Genis wondered. The young boy placed his hands on the tomb trying to find the latch again. A word came to his mind that he had never heard before. "Noxap," he said, and once again, his hand became incased in fire. As with before, the flame caused him no harm._

"_How did you do that?" Lloyd yelled. He walked back to the tomb and tripped on an object. Genis walked over to his friend's side. The younger boy mentally focused on the flame and it steadily stayed covering his right hand._

"_Where did that sword come from?" Genis asked the one laying on the ground. Lloyd got up and noticed a sword sitting on the ground. Its steal shined brightly, and unlike the surroundings, was free from any dust or dirt._

"_I don't know but I'm taking it._

"_You are robbing a grave?" Genis asked smacking his face with his non-enflamed hand._

"_I doubt that guy will want it anymore." Lloyd said pointing to the coffin with the blade._

"_You are not coming back to my house with a weapon like that. I know you, and you will brake something, or more likely, me."_

"_Fine, I'll just leave it here." Lloyd dropped the sword to the ground. _

_Genis continued to carefully focus the flame as they ascended the steps. The seemly endless climb physically fatigued the two, and the mental concentration required for Genis' flame made him mentally exhausted as well. When they became closer to the top, once again the ceiling contracted on them. Genis released his focus from the flame, once light from the outside began filtering in._

_After an excruciating climb, the pair made it out of the tomb and collapsed onto the ground. As they lay, Lloyd looked up at the sky and noticed the dark was starting to fade into a sunrise. He poked Genis in the side and pointed up at the sky, beginning to loose its blackness._

"_Do you know what this means?" Genis asked, quickly rising to his feet._

"_That we are one day closer to returning to the torture of school?"_

"_No! Raine is going to wake up soon." Lloyd cursed as he jumped to his feet and the two exhausted teenagers ran as fast as they could, back to the house, hoping they would make it back in time. _

_A/N: First chapter done. Any questions or thoughts you have please put them in a review. _


	2. Chapter 2: Pain, Fire and Mystery

A/N: This chapter is a bit shorter then the last, but I wanted to get an update up sooner for it. Enjoy.

Chapter 2: Pain, fire and mystery

"This is bad, really really bad. Once sis finds out we snuck out, she is going to kill us."

"All we have to do is make it back before she realizes we left. If we run we should be able to get back in time," Lloyd and Genis ran out of the cemetery and onto the dirt road. In the rush, they completely ignored the magnificent sunrise that filled the sky with a rainbow of color and just focused on the goal. The combination of the brisk air and the adrenaline made them forget about their lack of sleep.

They approached the first intersection and began running along side the paved road. "Lloyd, wait."

"Hurry up Genis."

"I can't," Genis said grabbing his knees, "I can't run as fast as you, and I tire much faster."

"Okay, just catch up to me and I have a plan." Genis shuddered at the thought of another of Lloyd's plans but decided he didn't have a better option. Lloyd stopped long enough for him to catch up. Genis was already exhausted after the short sprint.

"So what is your idea?"

Lloyd gently crouched to his knees so he was shorter then Genis. "Hop on."

"You're going to carry me?"

"That's the plan." He looked up smiling, realizing the ridiculousness of the plan but saw no other option. Genis gave in, jumped on to his friend's back, and wrapped his arms around his neck. Lloyd stood up and once again, ran for the house.

Lloyd struggled running despite attempts at continuing as fast as he could. Between keeping his balance and holding on to Genis, it was impossible for him to run as fast as before. He kept going however, and continued along side the road, receiving peculiar glances from people driving.

"Lloyd it's not working," Genis said after they traveled a couple blocks.

"We don't have any choice."

"I could just walk again."

"Yea, but this way is more fun."

"Just hurry up then. I hope we aren't too late."

"You worry too much Genis." They continued on the road as fast as Lloyd could go. The couple of miles seemed so much shorter when they didn't have to worry about getting back in time. Lloyd's focus on only running quickly aided him in moving faster but also made him forget about his passenger. Genis had a mouth full of leaves and his hair was full of sticks after Lloyd ran him into a branch.

As they turned onto Genis' road, the streetlights went out, signaling the beginning of the day. Once they reached the house, they saw the kitchen lights were on, signaling Raine was awake.

"She has to know we were gone," Genis said pointing to the illuminated room.

"Not necessarily, she probably thinks that we are just asleep." Lloyd set Genis down and crept around to the side of the house. The ducked under the large windows in the front as they made their way to Genis' room in back. Lloyd jumped over the fence and into the back yard, and then helped his friend to do the same.

Genis looked up at his open second story window. "How are we supposed to reach that?" Lloyd pointed to a tree whose branches came close to the window. "You have to be out of your mind! There is no way that thing will hold us."

"One way to find out." Lloyd then grabbed Genis by the waist, and ran to the tree. He began to climb up the sturdier branches and ascended to the ones nearer the window while carrying Genis with one arm. Genis contemplated forcing himself free but he did not want to add more pressure to the crumbling branches. As Lloyd stepped upon the branch that would lead to the window, a small crack was heard. Genis gave Lloyd a distressed look. They both knew the branch would hold one person if they were lucky. "Well if I aim this right it could work," Lloyd said mostly to himself.

"What are you thinking?" Genis asked, as he feared the answer.

"Don't worry you shouldn't get hurt." Before Genis could think of a reply, Lloyd took a couple steps back and then ran forward and threw Genis toward the window. In the milliseconds, Genis thought about the pain of him crashing into the brick wall or falling to the ground. To his amazement, Lloyd's idea worked. Genis went through the window safely, but as he landed in the room, Genis hit his arm against the TV stand along the side of the room and crashed to the floor. Lloyd then ran across the branch and jumped over the 4-foot gap and into the window. His landing was much less painful, but Lloyd's foot landed right on Genis' hand.

"Get off my hand!" Lloyd's startle at the shout, caused him to lose balance, and fall backwards, hitting his head against the wall. The loud thud could be heard throughout the house and footsteps could be heard climbing up the stairs.

"Close the window and jump in the bed," Genis ordered. Lloyd rose and slammed the window closed and then climbed the steps and covered himself in the blankets of Genis' top bunk. The other boy hit the light switch and went in his own bed.

Not two seconds passed before the door flung open, and Raine stood their panicked, "What was that noise?"

"Sorry Raine, I accidentally rolled out of the bed and hit my head on the floor."

"You all right Lloyd?" she asked.

"Yea, some sleep should get rid of it."

"Well you will need to get up soon anyway, I am making--," a loud piercing continues beeping noise cut of her sentence.

"Raine are you cooking again?" Genis asked, acting as if he just woke up. The three of them ran down the steps to examine the damage. As they approached the kitchen, a layer of smoke covered the ceiling. Upon entering the room, they discovered a fire emanating from a frying pan.

"Oh no my omelets!" she screamed running to the pan and turning of the stove, but the fire continued. Genis grabbed a bowl out of a cabinet, and filled it with water from the sink. He then poured it over the flames. The burning food calmed and Raine carried the pan to the sink and doused the remaining fire. Nothing but charred cinders of eggs remained.

"I did not know eggs could explode like that," Lloyd said.

"I haven't seen her do anything like that either," Genis said to Lloyd.

"Well I guess you will just have to make your own breakfast. I have to be at school early today for some pointless meeting." She went and grabbed a briefcase and headed for the door. "Genis, I'll be back around five so be careful. I'll see you when school starts at the latest Lloyd."

"Bye Sis."

"Have a good day Miss Sage." She closed the door and they heard a car pull away. Once she was gone, Lloyd regained his appetite, "Hey Genis, want to make us some food that won't catch on fire?"

"I guess so, but after that I'm getting some sleep,"

"This isn't the time for sleep; we have boring classes for that." As Genis grabbed some eggs out of the fridge, he glared at his friend's disregard for education. "Besides, what happened last night was too strange just to forget about," Lloyd said as he took a seat at the table.

"Yea, that fire was really weird. It was like I was holding onto it with my mind."

"It didn't burn you or anything?"

"No, it felt more like it was a part of me or something. Kind of like an extension of my hand."

"All the fun stuff happens to you," Lloyd said as a plate of fried eggs was set before him. "Why didn't something cool like that happen to me too?"

"None of this makes any sense," Genis said as he sat across the table and began to eat.

"What was that word you said to start the fire again?"

"Noxap," a small flame sat in the palm of Genis' hand.

"So it still works."

"Yea but I have to concentrate hard to keep it there." The flame quickly faded and Genis continued, "I'm too tired for it to stay there. Besides, it's too dangerous to do anything with it in the house."

"After we get some sleep, we should go to the woods behind Dad's house to see what it can do. It should be safe there."

"Won't Dirk be worried about the fire?"

"Nah he is out of town for a couple weeks for some wood working convention."

"It would be nice to learn more about this. Let's keep it a secret until we learn more."

"Good plan," Lloyd said as he rose to the wash his plate.

"Lloyd, how do you eat so fast?" Genis turned and looked at the boy walking up the stairs.

"I just do, I guess. Wake me sometime later." Lloyd disappeared into his friend's room. Genis soon followed but as he walked up the stairs, something on his hand caught his attention. He noticed a bright red mark right where his thumb connected to the palm of his hand. The rest of his hand looked normal, and the mark did not hurt any. He pondered if there was connection between the mark and his control of the fire.

A/N: Not as exciting as the first chapter, but still good I think. Please review if you have any comment at all.


	3. Chapter 3: If a tree falls in a forest

A/N: And now I present, chapter 3. This chapter isn't as lighthearted as the others so far, but still has some comical moments. I hope you enjoy, and please review.

Chapter 3: If a tree falls in a forest

"So Lloyd, you think this is really a good idea?"

"What's the worse that could happen, Genis?

"I don't know Lloyd. There are trees all around us, it is nearly 100 degrees, and you want me to make fire come out of my hand."

"Just be careful with it and nothing bad will happen. We are in a clearing anyway so you shouldn't hit any trees."

"Well here goes nothing," he said. Genis stood in the middle of a small clearing while Lloyd stood back near some of the trees. His feet were firmly planted and his right hand was held out with the palm upward. "Noxap," he said loudly, and a bright flame encompassed his hand. He focused all of his thoughts on the fire and it stayed in place and then began to slowly expand.

"Incredible," Lloyd said from a safe distance. Genis ignored the comment and concentrated on the fire. He shifted his palm outward and directed the fire to spread out to almost a foot in front of his palm. Birds scurried away at the sight and sound of the fire. Genis then brought the flame back to just his palm and aloud the fire to dissipate. Beads of sweat flowed down his face, and not just do to the scorching weather. Lloyd walked over to Genis and sat a hand on his shoulder, "Wow, how do you do that?"

"I'm not really sure. I just concentrate and it happens." Genis was breathing heavily as he answered.

"I wonder if I could do it too." Lloyd asked, "What was that word you use?"

"Noxap," he said softly, not wanting to start another fire.

"Okay I'll try it," Lloyd said as he held out his hand in the same way Genis had a few moments ago. "Noxap," he screamed. Nothing happened. "Noxap!" he tried again with no avail. "Why won't it work?" he yelled.

"Are you concentrating on the fire?" Genis asked as he sat against a tree.

"There isn't any fire to concentrate on though."

"You feel anything strange at all?"

"No"

"I guess only I am able to use it."

"Doesn't seem fair," Lloyd said as he leaned against the same tree as Genis.

"Well you are better then me at most things like running, sports, swimming, anything physical it seems. Now I have something unique."

"True but you are a genius at school. Everything there seems to come easy to you."

"That's because I work at it and don't sleep during class."

"It's not just that, you have a gift for learning things fast. School just seems so boring."

"I guess we all have something that sets us apart."

"Can you do that again, but this time, see if you can make it bigger?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm not sure."

"It would be so cool if you could. At least try it."

Genis stood up and walked back to the clearing. "Okay," he said as he held out his hand just as before. "Noxap!" The fire once again surrounded his hand and spread out more this time. The strain of maintaining the flame made him almost fall to his knees. 'Concentrate,' he told himself. The flame continued to grow and soon, his hand connected to a sphere of fire a few feet in front of him. The ball of flames was nearly three feet tall.

"That's amazing!" Lloyd exclaimed from a safe distance behind him.

"I can't hold it much longer," he replied, as he had to work to keep his body erect.

"Don't worry Genis, you have this."

His friend's encouragement kept him standing as he focused on the fire. His concentration kept the flame in place but he struggled to hold it. After a few seconds, the strain was too much. Genis collapsed, falling onto his back, and as he fell, he unintentionally released the ball of flames from his hand. As the fire spread through the trees, the sound of leaves incinerating and birds flying away echoed throughout the woods. The fireball finally stopped as it hit a tree branch. With the pressure of holding the fire gone, Genis was able to get up easily. "That's enough for now."

"Yea, sorry for pushing you too far."

"Don't worry about it. I just feel tired after doing that much." Genis then walked toward Lloyd and they decided to return to Lloyd's house.

"Lloyd, look out!" Genis yelled. As Lloyd glanced around, he heard the sound of twigs breaking and then he looked up and saw a branch about to fall on him. He felt his body shift and then felt an impact on his head, causing him to close his eyes momentarily. As he opened them, he realized that there was no pain. The sight in front of him filled him with horror. He looked at the branch that fell seconds earlier, and saw Genis lying in front of it. Lloyd ran to his friend and found that Genis' left leg was pinned under the branch and blood flowed out, covering the ground in a crimson stain. "I can't move my leg."

"Does it hurt?" Lloyd would not allow emotion to take control now. He knew that he could not panic and just had to subdue his emotions.

"It just stings but no real pain." Lloyd walked to the branch and tried to lift it but nothing happened. "It won't budge." He then bent down next to Genis. "Let me go get help. I can't move it on my own."

"Lloyd, look!" Genis said as he pointed to his right. Part of the branch was on fire and the flames were approaching them.

"We have to get you out of there. I'll try and lift up this part and you get your leg free."

"I don't think I can feel it at all."

"Well just slide it out then. We don't have time to argue." Lloyd tried to lift the branch just enough so Genis would be free but it wouldn't move an inch. "It's no good!" Lloyd screamed as he kicked the branch.

"Just hurry and get help," Genis said.

"You might die before I get back." Lloyd held back tears that began to flow when he realized his friend's life was in danger.

"Do you have any better plans?" Genis asked. He knew that if Lloyd left, he probably would die here but he didn't want Lloyd to have to see it happen.

"I'll think of something," Lloyd protested. The older teen looked around for anything that could free his friend. The only things around were leaves and sticks. In desperation, he went back to the branch to try moving it again but still nothing.

"Just go Lloyd. If you don't, both of us are in danger."

"No, none of us will die." The flames were only a few feet away. Genis tried to concentrate on the fire, but the flames weren't his anymore, so he couldn't control them. "There has to be a way," Lloyd said.

"Just run while you still can," Genis ordered.

"I won't leave you. I know I can get you free." A thought came to Lloyd that gave him hope. A word forced itself into his thoughts, one he never heard before. He clenched his fist and said, "Bonha" A light radiated from his clenched fist and shot outward a couple feet. The light was pure white and bright as fire. Within seconds, the brightness dissipated, and Lloyd found himself holding a sword.

"Where did that come from?" Genis asked.

"I don't know, or care, but it's getting you free." Lloyd swung the sword and sliced the branch on both sides of Genis's leg. He placed the sword on the ground and went to pick up the section of the branch. As Lloyd freed Genis' leg, the radiation from the fire made the day even hotter. Genis pushed himself back with his hands and his one good leg. Lloyd chucked the block of wood into the flame and checked on the wounded leg.

Lloyd could barely look at the gruesomeness of it. Genis' leg was torn open and the blood coated his lower leg and had begun to spread to the hem of his shorts. The hard ground was bathed in a layer of crimson. "So much blood," Lloyd said softly.

"I'm starting to feel faint from the blood loss," Genis wearily replied.

"I'll take you back to the house." Lloyd quickly glanced around for something to cover his friend's wound but nothing suitable could be found. Lloyd removed his shirt and tied it around Genis' leg, hoping that it would hold in the blood. Lloyd bent down and Genis grabbed onto his neck as Lloyd lifted him of the ground. Genis remained on the border of conciseness as he was carried through the woods. He tried to thank Lloyd, but his mouth would not respond to his brain's commands. The last thing Genis saw before passing out, was the wooden house through the trees. Drops of blood sprinkled along the footprints. 'Just a little bit longer,' Lloyd thought to himself.

Lloyd kicked open the backdoor of his house. He felt the blast of chilled air rushing against his face and set the injured boy on the floor of the basement. Lloyd knew little about medicine, but he knew that Genis' leg was likely broken. He also knew that all that blood loss could kill him. Carefully he unwrapped the red cloth around his leg. The bloodstain stood out even against the red shirt. Lloyd saw that the gash went a few inches up from his ankle, almost to his knee. Blood continued to ooze out of the wound.

"How can I help you?" Lloyd asked, not expecting a response. The wound concerned him most of all. Genis would be in pain from the broken leg, but it wouldn't kill him. He was still worried, and felt the leg, wondering how badly it was broken. As he touched it, the blood covered his palms. He thought of going to wash the red off, but then thought that cleaning the leg could help. He remembered something about infections getting in large cuts and feared the same could happen to Genis. Lloyd sprinted to the next room and began filling the bathtub, then came back and carried Genis into the tub. The water turned a shade of crimson. Lloyd just sat there for a few minuets, felling helpless to help his best friend.

His state of hopelessness was broken by the voice of his friend. "Lloyd," Genis said softly, "why is there water up to my neck?"

"Genis, you're awake!" Lloyd exclaimed. He stood up, but slipped and his head fell into the tub. Lloyd pulled his head up, looked behind him, and saw the bathroom floor was covered in about an inch of red tinted water. He reached and turned of the water and the tub stopped overflowing.

"Wow Lloyd, you must have really been panicked if you didn't notice the water rising like that."

"I'm surprised you are awake already. How does your leg feel?"

"Like a tree fell on it. It doesn't hurt as bad as I would think." Genis pulled the leg closer to him, "It looks like it has stopped bleeding mostly."

"Good."

"Another question Lloyd, why did you throw me in your bathtub, instead of calling an ambulance?"

"I panicked okay, I couldn't think straight."

"Well you could have at least taken off my clothes. Now they are all soaked."

"I thought it would be strange for me to be watching you naked in the tub."

"True but nothing you haven't seen before. Remember the Niagara falls incident."

Lloyd chuckled at the memory, "True, I wonder if that park ranger ever stopped limping. Anyway, I'll go get some dry clothes for you. Mine are covered with blood anyway." Lloyd left the room and went up the stairs two flights, up to his room.

He rummaged through his closet, looking for anything that would fit his small friend. He found a red t-shirt and matching shorts for himself. He thought it was odd how similar most of his clothing was. After sorting through the clothes, he found an old suit that might fit Genis. He guessed Genis would want something less fancy. After going though all the red clothing he came upon an old blue shirt and navy shorts. Lloyd bounded back down the stairs and gave the clothes to Genis, and then exited to the family room.

The path of blood could be seen from the door to the carpet where he had lain. Guilt entered Lloyd's mind and all the things he could have done differently filled his thoughts. If he had called an ambulance perhaps, Genis would be in better shape now. If he had moved away from the branch in time, none of this would have happened. If he didn't have Genis keep doing more with the fire, everything would have been avoided. He saw himself as an idiot; he nearly caused his best friend to die.

"Lloyd," Genis said. Lloyd turned and saw his friend standing in the doorway. "This doesn't seem right."

"What doesn't?"

"My leg, I am able to walk. After something like that hit it, it should be broken horribly, but it doesn't hurt that much."

"I'm glad," Lloyd smiled as his hatred of himself turned to joy for his friend.

"It's still bleeding some so it needs bandaged."

"I'll get the first aid kit out of Dad's workshop."

"Why does he keep one in there?"

"He says that he can never be too safe with me and power tools." Lloyd brought a small box out of the room and Genis sat on a chair. Lloyd came and kneeled beside him and began wrapping a bandage around the leg. "This should help it heal."

"Thank you."

A/N: So many questions, what will become of Genis' injury? What happened at Niagara Falls? Where did that sword come from? Next chapter the real story begins, so it should be getting better. If you have any comment at all or question, please leave a review. I know I beg for them a lot and I will keep doing so until I get them. Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4: Drunks, dreams, and duct tape

A/N: This chapter is once again a mix of pointless comedy but some important events do occur. I work in the pizza industry and make fun of it here. All of the events revolving it are things that have happened or I could very easily see happen.

Chapter 4: Drunks, dreams, and, duct tape.

"I have you now."

"That's what you think Lloyd."

"Wait it missed!"

"And that's game."

"Winner Pikachu," the TV said.

"I don't get how a mouse can beat the hero of more games then I can count," Lloyd said seeing that he lost once again.

"When you can call lighting down from the sky, Mario doesn't stand a chance. So want to see if I can beat you ten times in a row?"

"It won't happen. Prepare to lose to Meta Knight," Lloyd said as he switched characters. The battle started and the two virtual characters tried to kill each other. The two minuets passed and a victor was decided.

"Don't say anything Genis,"

"Just because I beat you again at your own game?"

"You didn't kill me once."

"That's because you killed yourself five times." Lloyd looked down not wanting to admit his defeat. "Well you were right about one thing."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Playing brawl on your dad's big screen TV did make me forget about my leg."

"Well at least one of us is enjoying me losing repeatedly. Your leg has stopped hurting now?"

"I wouldn't say it feels fine," Genis said slighting pushing against the wound, "but nothing unbearable."

"I was thinking, how will you explain that to Raine?"

"That might be a problem, having a tree fall on my leg will cause her to panic and then she will go crazy when she sees how fast it is healing."

"You could stay here for the night and hope that it continues to heal and she will think it is just a scrape."

"I don't know if she trusts me here all night without someone responsible."

"What does she think is going to happen to you?" Genis looked down at his leg and then looked back at Lloyd. "She doesn't know about that yet," Lloyd countered the silent remark.

"Well, she doesn't think you are the most responsible person. I think I can convince her to let me stay here for the night though. I'll give her a call when she gets home."

"How long does it take for one stupid meeting?"

"Well she should be home by eight. She said there was a lot to do today" Genis turned to look at the clock. "Wow I can't believe it is almost seven now."

"It's been an eventful day."

"Yea, you as hungry as I am?" Genis asked, although he was certain of the answer.

"Any time I go without food for 12 hours I'm hungry. Pizza sound good?"

"Sure," Genis replied and Lloyd reached for the phone. After ordering their dinner, they returned to the video game while they waited for food.

About an hour past and Lloyd finally won a match while Genis won about a dozen more. "Don't you think the pizza should be here by now?" Genis asked.

"Yea it really shouldn't take so long for it to get here. I'll give them a call again." Lloyd once again called the restaurant. "Yeah my pizza isn't here yet…Irving… Really?… How dumb are you people?…How do you forget that?… Is that legal? Okay I guess getting it for free will make up for that."

"So what happened?" Genis asked after seeing the wide-eyed expression on his friend's face.

"Well apparently they have messed up the pizza a few different ways. They told me the first pizza was accidentally thrown onto a fan by who ever was working ovens."

"What kind of idiot would do that?"

"It gets stranger," Lloyd explained, "They made the pizza again, but this time the people were confused and thought it was an extra so they ended up eating a few slices before realizing it was too late. Then when they made it again they somehow forgot the cheese for the pizza."

"How is that possible?"

"I'm not sure. Anyway, they still didn't get it right the next time. Apparently, someone had cut himself earlier and ended up dropping a band-aid into the pizza once it was out of the oven. So in exchange for messing it up so many times they said it would be free."

Genis' jaw dropped after hearing the idiocy of the restaurant, "I think that even you could do a better job then that."

"Yea, probably," Lloyd said. He glared at Genis after a couple seconds, once he realized the insult, "If your leg wasn't hurt now it would have a foot in it right now."

"Maybe there are some good things about this injury. So when will the food get here?"

"They said within a few minuets hopefully."

"If it doesn't get here soon, I'm going to start eating this couch," Genis said as his stomach growled at the emptiness. Just then, they heard the noises of tires screeching outside.

They ran to the door and saw a man walking from a car parked sideways in the driveway. The also noticed tire tracks in the front yard. The man walked up to them, gave them a pizza box, and then stumbled as he turned back to his car.

"Wait, sir," Lloyd yelled before he returned. The driver turned around to face him, "Uh, you just gave me an empty box." Genis gave the driver a look that was a mix of confusion and insult.

"I knew I forgot something," the driver said as he pulled a pizza out of the back seat. He handed it to Lloyd then once again walked back to his car. "Sorry," he said, "I think many maybe had too I've drinks tonight." Once he returned to the car, he began fumbling for something in his pocket, and began kicking the metal and cursing. "I can't believe I locked the keys in there again!" he screamed.

"He is aware his car is a convertible with the top down, isn't he?" Genis whispered to Lloyd.

"Let's just go back into the house and remember that drinking is bad," Lloyd said and closed the door while the driver was still failing at breaking into his own car.

__

"I still need to tell Raine I'm staying here," Genis said as he picked up the phone. "Hey sis, you mind if I stay with Lloyd tonight?… Don't worry, we will be fine… Well I was going to help Lloyd with some math so he won't fail algebra again… Thanks," he said hanging up the phone. "It worked," he told Lloyd.

After eating their food, the rest of the night was normal. Destroying things on Halo, insulting the other's lack of skill, and the occasional pillow thrown at the other person's head, filled the night. It was well into the next day, when they finally decided to sleep. Lloyd quickly fell asleep on his bed while Genis was sleeping on the couch downstairs.

While Genis was sleeping, he dreamt. He saw a massive city before him. It looked to rival the size of the largest cities he had seen. A great fire spread across the buildings. Nearly every building was ablaze, and the flames continued to spread. Genis could tell this wasn't any normal fire. Somehow, he knew, that the fire was alive and wanted this destruction. The sky was clouded by smoke from the fire, making it impossible to tell the difference between night and day.

People filled the streets, trying to escape the destruction. Out of windows, fire emerged instantaneously incinerating anyone it its path. Windows were shattering and skyscrapers were crumbling. He saw emergency crews trying to save anyone they could find, but they too, became victims to the inferno.

He continued to see more people running but this time they were going back into the flaming city. He then saw a figure chasing them. Genis noticed the person carried a sword and was clothed from the neck down in red. He also wore a red and black cape. The person swiftly ran toward the fleeing citizens and mercilessly stabbed and sliced through their bodies. He didn't even flinch at the blood splashing along the ground and the figure's face.

Several police officers aimed their guns at the man and began firing. The bullets just bounced of him. In a matter of seconds, he was next to the police and killed them just as he had done before to the citizens. The person then faced Genis and smiled. Genis saw that the man was none other then his best friend, Lloyd.

Genis awoke and sat up, and realized it was only a dream. It seemed so real to him though. His heart was racing. He held his head in his hands to calm himself and reputedly told himself that it wasn't real. As he pulled his head away, he noticed the red mark on his hand was brighter then before. 'Was that real?' he thought. 'Lloyd would never do something like that. Maybe it wasn't Lloyd, but it looked just like him. Maybe it was just a realistic, horrifying dream, but then why is the mark on my hand glowing? What caused the fire anyway?' Genis looked at the clock and saw it was 5 AM. 'It's too early for this.'

He lay back down and tried to return to sleep. He could not calm his mind from all the images in his head. The sights raced through his mind, destroying any hope of sleep in the near future. Hours passed as he continued to struggle against the restlessness of his own mind. He saw the sun peak through the windows but just hid his eyes under the covers. He shoved his face against the back of the couch and finally found the rest that had eluded him.

__

Lloyd came downstairs and saw his friend still sleeping. He decided that Genis had been asleep for long enough for one night. He walked to the couch and rolled the boy of the couch and on to the floor. Genis awoke with a stir and noticed his friend above him but just grabbed his pillow of the couch and went back to sleep.

"Come on Genis wake up," Lloyd said, as he repeatedly kicked him lightly in the back. Genis retaliated by grabbing his pillow and swinging it at Lloyd's leg. "I'm tired," Genis drowsily replied.

"Come on, it's nearly ten. You don't want to waste the last week of summer sleeping do you?"

Genis finally gave in and uncovered himself. He gathered the blankets and pillows and went to put them away, but not before hitting Lloyd in the back of the head with the bundle. "What was that for?"

"Being an annoying alarm clock. So why did you wake me up anyway?"

"I was board."

"Don't make me hurt you."

"What, you are more fun when you are asleep. Besides, I wanted to know how your leg was doing."

"You really think rolling me onto the floor is good for my leg? Anyway, it feels stiff, but not much pain."

"That's good. Now hurry to the kitchen, I made breakfast." They heard a long beep coming from the next room.

"Any time I hear a beep and the word breakfast I think it's the smoke detector," Genis said as they walked into the kitchen.

"Come on, she isn't that bad of a cook," Genis gave him a dumb look and Lloyd corrected himself, "Wait, yea, she is."

"She is so bad the fire department knows her on a first name basis."

"Well I'm not much of a cook either. All I made was microwave pancakes," he said as he pulled the food out and set it on the table.

"It's edible and it's not on fire so I will take it," he said as they began eating.

"Hey Lloyd," Genis asked, "You have any strange dreams last night?"

"No, I slept perfectly."

"Well I had a really frightening one." Genis recalled the dream for Lloyd.

"Wow, that's scary, but remember it's only a dream."

"Yea, but it seemed so real. When I woke up this red mark on my hand was much brighter." He showed Lloyd the mark. "It was like it was glowing. The fact it happened a day after we found the strange tomb makes me think it wasn't just a coincidence."

"Well you're supposed to be the logical one. I'm sure that an event like yesterday's would make your mind do some strange things."

"I hope your right."

"That reminds me," Lloyd said rising from the table, "I want to bring that sword in here." Lloyd ran out the back door, leaving half his breakfast, and climbed down the flight of steps that led to the back yard. Genis soon followed.

The ground outside was softer then the day before. A gentle rainstorm came during the previous evening. "Lloyd, wait!" Genis called once his friend was a large distance ahead.

"Oh, sorry," Lloyd said as he let his friend catch up. "It should be near the clearing, this direction," he said pointing forward. The two wondered through the woods, trying to avoid any injuries caused by low branches. After walking a few minuets, they noticed the charred branch that fell yesterday.

"It should be near here," Lloyd said as he searched the ground for the blade.

"Well where did you put it?" Genis asked as he searched among the mud and sticks. "It can't be that hard to find a brightly shining sword among all this."

"It just vanished," Lloyd said after several minuets of searching.

"Try summoning it again and see what happens, or did you forget how."

"Uh, I remember that I said some word but I don't remember what it was."

Genis smacked his forehead. "I didn't think even you could forget something like that. I guess we just go back then?"

"Yea, sorry for dragging you all the way out here like that."

The two wondered back through the woods toward the house. As they returned, the clouds that filled the sky began to darken, and a gentle rain softly fell upon them. They accelerated back towards shelter. Soon they ran through the basement door and out of the rain. The gentle sprinkle had quickly grown to a steady downpour.

"I can't believe how fast that rain came," Lloyd said.

"Might mean that cooler weather is coming," Genis suggested.

"That reminds me, school is only half a week away." Lloyd's head dropped at the thought.

"Come on it isn't that bad. Besides, this is your last year of high school. It should be fun."

"School is never fun."

"I thought you liked gym though,"

"That's not real school; it's just running around playing games. It was even more fun when that poor kid ran into the brick wall."

"I only did that once!" Genis protested. Lloyd just chucked and walked away.

"So you have any ideas for what we should do today. I suggest staying away from fire," the younger boy asked.

"Well first let's see if your leg has healed anymore."

"Okay," Genis said sitting down and unwrapping the bandages around it. The mark was still there, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped and the wound wasn't as long as it had been before. The bandages has turned red where it covered the wound but it had not spread much farther.

"Still doesn't look good," Lloyd said.

"Yea, but it is getting better. I think we should just leave it uncovered to let it heal faster," he said as he threw the bandages away.

"I think Colette is back from vacation. Think we should call her?"

"That should be fun. So are you finally going to ask her out?" Genis asked.

"I keep telling you I don't like her like that. She is just a friend." Lloyd's face became bright red as he spoke.

"The fact that you are blushing suggests otherwise." Genis knew what was coming next and walked discreetly toward the stairs.

"Come back here," Lloyd said, and Genis ran up the stairs. A few seconds after Genis was at the top he could hear the footsteps following him. He ran into the living room, hoping to be able to hide somewhere.

"You're not getting away that easily," Lloyd said as he emerged from the basement. Lloyd chased his friend and had him corned on the couch. "So what did you say about me and Colette?" he asked.

"Lloyd likes Colette, Lloyd likes Colette," he teased. He tried running past Lloyd but tripped once his good leg was grabbed. Genis was pinned to the ground with both his arms held down by Lloyd's knees.

"So you going to take that back?"

"Of course not," Lloyd then grabbed a roll of duct tape out of his back pocket and taped the mouth of the struggling boy shut.

"That should keep you quiet for a while," Lloyd said as he let his friend escape.

After a few seconds of Genis unsuccessfully trying to get the duct tape off his mouth, a loud banging was heard at the door. "That's weird," Lloyd said as he went to open the door. He saw three men in suits waiting for him.

"Hello, I am agent Debross, and these are agents Stamper and Cross," one of the men said and he showed Lloyd a badge, "We are from the federal government and have been sent here to investigate some strange events."

"Oh, like what?"

"We don't have time to explain; now we just need to search your house. It shouldn't take long if you don't have anything to hide."

"Okay," Lloyd said apprehensively. The three men entered and began looking around the place. Genis finally freed his mouth from the tape and asked, "What are they doing here?"

The one agent noticed this comment and faced Genis, "Debross, Stamper, look. I believe he is the one we have been searching for."

"There is no mistaking that silver hair," Debross said. The three men pulled out their guns and pointed them at the boy.

____

A/N: Yes a cliff hanger. This is also my longest chapter yet, so I hope you liked it. Reviews are loved as always so if you have any nice things to say or any suggestions for improvement, please review.


	5. Chapter 5: Winds of change

A/N: For the agents, picture the "men in black" type people. Also sorry if the first part seems to ramble about nothing for too long, but I wanted to capture the emotions as much as possible.

Chapter 5: Winds of change.

"Wait, what is going on here?" Lloyd screamed after seeing the guns drawn on his friend.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," one of them replied, "These matters are far more important then anything someone like you could comprehend."

"What are you going to do to him?" Lloyd asked.

"Don't worry about it," Agent Cross said.

Stamper began to slowly approach Genis. He held his gun out but still seemed worried. "Okay, show me the palm of your hands," he said once he was within a couple feet of the boy. Genis slowly lifted his hands. The agent's eyes focused on the red mark on his right hand. "That's the one for sure." Debross and Cross, then walked over to Stamper. They steadily held out their guns. Lloyd wondered who these people were.

"Come with us," Cross ordered, "Don't resist and neither of you will be hurt. Try to escape or anything and I can't promise anything." Genis began walking with them. The agents only kept half an eye on Lloyd, while most of their attention remained on Genis.

Genis glanced down at his hand and back up to Lloyd. Lloyd caught the unspoken question. He wanted to say yes, but against someone armed with guns, he couldn't let Genis get hurt like that again. Lloyd just shook his head in response. Genis looked down briefly. He wanted to do something to get out of this. He wanted to be like Lloyd and recklessly charge into things. This was not the right time to do so. Soon he might have an opportunity, but not now. Genis looked at Lloyd and gave a small nod.

The agents led Genis to the door while Lloyd just stepped to the side to allow them to go. He wanted to do something, anything that could help his friend. He had to stay calm and think logically. There was no time for thinking. If he wasted this time thinking, then what had he done but just think. It was the time for action, but what was the right action? Anything he did now would be a risk. He wasn't afraid to take risks before, but now, with his friend's life in danger, it wasn't the time to do anything reckless. But what if, they were going to kill him anyway? He couldn't just stand back while they would take him away to do that.

Genis continued to walk toward the door. An agent was on both his right and left, along with one behind him. Running wouldn't work now. He thought about using his fire, but there were three of them, all armed with guns. They seemed too concerned about his capture to let fire scare them off. Even if he could do something, he was sure they would go after Lloyd to get to him. He just couldn't let that happen either. Neither of them were in danger, for the moment. Genis knew as long as he cooperated, then they would be safe. This might change soon, but was true for the moment. He continued to look for an opportunity to get out of this unharmed, and keep Lloyd safe as well. Even agents as disciplined as these appeared, have to let their guard down sometime. Then he would make his move. He wasn't sure when that opportunity would come, but he hoped it would be in time.

Anger built up inside of Lloyd. He hated that some random people were just taking his best friend away for no good reason. He was angry with himself. Why couldn't he just be able to do something? He felt so helpless. How could he let this happen? Why did he just let those people in his house? What if there was something that he was missing, that he could do now? He felt so stupid for not being able to think of the thing he should do now. He knew he couldn't just stand here and do nothing, but what was it that he needed to do? He wanted to smack himself in the head with a heavy object.

Genis was still at the other side of the room, while Lloyd stood near the door. There was still time, but not much. The young boy looked up at his friend. 'Lloyd' he mouthed. Tears built up in the older one's eyes and began dripping down his cheek. No, Lloyd thought. He wouldn't let despair take him, not yet. He had to save Genis. At this moment, nothing else mattered. A new option suddenly came to him. It shouldn't make any sense, but it did. Lloyd questioned if it would work, but the thought told Lloyd that it would work. He didn't know how a thought could be so outrageous but effective.

Lloyd held out his left hand in Genis' direction. Not enough to mean anything to the strangers, but enough to capture his attention. Genis locked glances with Lloyd. Lloyd smiled slightly. With his left hand, he subtly pointed to himself. He then grabbed the palm of his right hand. 'Duck,' he mouthed.

Genis understood the plan, but wondered how it could work. He trusted Lloyd, and knew that, while Lloyd could be idiotic, he wouldn't do anything reckless in a time like this.

Lloyd held his right hand behind his back. "Bonha," he quietly said. The sword emerged but still hidden behind his back. He locked glances with Genis once more. 'One,' he mouthed. Genis nodded and prepared to get out of the way. 'Two,' Lloyd felt his heart racing. He knew there was only one shot at this. They were less then ten feet away. 'Three.'

Genis fell to the ground and the agents all faced him wondering what had happened. In the same second, Lloyd swiped his sword through the air. "Demonic Slash!" he yelled. Out from the air slashed, a shock wave came and flew at the guards. The homing attack sliced through the guns. In less then a second, the situation had changed.

"Let's get out of here," Lloyd said, as he and Genis bolted for the door. One of the guards reached to grab Genis but the boy slipped away with less then a second to spare. The two ran, slammed the door open, and burst out into the rain. The three agents were quickly chasing them.

Genis paused for a second. "Hold on Lloyd," he said. He turned to face the three and held out his hand. "Noxap," and the fire engulfed his hand. He sent the flame forward and the agents jumped out to the side to avoid the flame. Genis then joined Lloyd and they continued running.

They ran out along side the front yard and toward the driveway where the agents van was parked. The three soon came out of the house and continued to pursue them. Lloyd rolled under the van momentarily and the sound of metal slashing could be heard. The swordsman rolled out the other side and instructed Genis to follow him. Before joining his friend, he noticed a liquid flowing out from under the car and joined with the rain in covering the ground.

"There they are," an agent said as they continued chasing the two. Lloyd was dashing around to the back of the house. He looked up at the woods that stood before him and Genis guessed his plan.

"The fort?" Genis asked through the sound of the roaring downpour. Lloyd nodded in approval as the two disappeared into the trees.

The trio continued through the rain and the mud, approaching the vast network of trees. As they approached, a large burst of thunder echoed all around them, and the wind began blowing harder. They decided that a pursuit in the violent weather was not worth the risk.

Lloyd and Genis continued into the labyrinth of trees. They effortlessly flew through the path that would have thrown off those less familiar with the woods. The saturated ground, and the slippery sticks strung along the path, made the journey difficult. They chose not to look back to see if they were still being followed. No sounds from pursuers could be heard, but that could also be from the storm drowning out other noises.

They reached the rope ladder that led up to the fort they made earlier in the summer. The rain made it difficult to hold on to but Lloyd climbed the ladder faster then he ever had before, even while continuing to carry the sword. Genis carried on behind him. The climb took them over a dozen feet up and dripping leaves soon surrounded them. Out of breath, they finally reached the summit and looked out over the forest that surrounded them.

No pursuers appeared to have followed him. Genis pulled up the ladder to make sure no one could reach them. They were safe, at least for now.

Lloyd sat down and rested his head against the wall. Genis quickly laid beside him. Their fort was little more then a simple tree house. The floor was made from a sturdy piece of plywood and the three walls were made similar. A ceiling stood above them, protecting them from the falling rain. Lloyd had slowly acquired wood working skills from his dad over the years. Dirk had helped Lloyd build several things before, a bird feeder, a bowl, even a cookie jar, but this was the first thing Lloyd had done without his dad's help. Near the beginning of the summer, Lloyd and Genis spent several days constructing their fort. It was simple, but it was theirs. No one could navigate the path to find it without their help, and only on rare occasions, did other people climb up to see it.

The two caught their breath from the running as the rain continued to pound on the roof. Echoes of thunder could be heard all around as the wind continued to bang sticks against the walls. "You think it is safe up here?" Genis asked. A strike of lighting appeared close to them.

"Not really, but you can't go back down there yet. Why do they want you so badly?"

"It has to do something with the fire," Genis said looking at the mark on his hand. It was brighter again, like right after the dream, "They knew about the brand and what it meant."

"Yea, but how did they find you that quickly?"

"I don't know. We should be careful using those powers."

Lloyd looked at the sword that rested beside him. "It's amazing what we can do, but it's put you in danger several times already."

"Well it has already saved us too. Your sword saved me twice in the past two days. It saved me from that tree and just now from those gunmen."

"Your fire helped us too. If it weren't for that, we would have had to find our way out of that tomb in the dark. It was hard enough even with the light."

"I wonder," Genis said sitting up, "Would that coffin be connected to them in someway?"

"It could be. I just know what I saw."

"For once you know the same as me. It's worth checking out once we get a chance." Genis stopped for a second to hear his stomach growling. "I forgot you dragged me out of there before I could hardly eat."

Lloyd crawled over to a box they brought up here a few weeks ago. "Well there is some melted ice-cream here if you want it."

"That has to have been sitting here for weeks." Genis remembered when he and Lloyd spent the night up in their fort a couple weeks ago and Lloyd brought all kinds of food for them.

"Well you want it or not?"

Genis' stomach continued to growl. "Fine I will take it." Lloyd handed him the dripping carton, and Genis opened and began drinking the sweet vanilla flavored milk.

"Any good?"

Genis made some strange faces trying to decipher the taste, "Considering it is melted and probably gone bad, I have had worse. It's better then Raine's cooking at least."

"While you eat that I'll grab some chips out of here."

"Wait, there is other food?"

"Yea."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Genis said as he tried to hold down his food.

"You didn't ask. Besides I didn't think you would actually eat it." Genis chucked the carton at Lloyd's head with perfect aim. Genis couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his friend having melted ice-cream dripping down from his hair and onto his shoulders. The look of surprise on Lloyd's face did not help contain Genis' laughter. Lloyd mumbled something about wishing he had duct tape with him as he let his head hang out in the rain to wash away the melted food. They had just begun to dry, and now Lloyd was soaked anew. "Thanks Genis."

"Any time Lloyd," he said with a smile on his face.

A/N: Another chapter updated. Please review, I want to know what you think of this. I hope I do a good job of blending comedy, and seriousness in the story. The next update might take a few weeks, since I am going to focus on another fic for now, but there is no way I'm letting this one die.


	6. Chapter 6: Let the Weak be Strong

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but some other stories came to mind. I want to continue this, because I have seen the final battle scene, and it is incredible. Don't let that make you think this is near the end; there is still a long way to go. Anyway, if you like it or have a comment of some kind, please leave it in a review.

Don't expect as much random comedy as the first few chapters, but I will still try to add some.

Chapter 6: Let the weak be strong.

"So Lloyd what do we do now?" Genis asked.

Lloyd lowered his binoculars, and turned to his friend. "Well, I can still see them through the windows. I think I saw him talking on a phone to someone."

"Why haven't they left yet?"

"Probably has something to do with two flat tires and a very leaky gas tank," Lloyd smiled at his earlier deed.

"So you keep them stuck in your house? Wouldn't it be better to get them away?" Genis questioned his friends plan.

"Well if someone is after our lives, then keeping them in one place can't hurt."

"But in your house?" Genis decided that Lloyd should think about his plans before executing them.

"We could always get away and they would be stuck."

"I would like to see how we could do that if we can't get into the house to get anything, and do to someone's clumsiness, we don't have a phone."

"I could use Dad's old truck."

"Which the keys to are in the house."

"That's not the only place," Lloyd said as he crawled over to the container the food had been found in. He carefully opened up a secret compartment, pulling out a key. "I thought something strange could happen, so I stashed some emergency supplies in here."

"That's really thoughtful for you," Genis said sarcastically.

"Never underestimate my brilliant plans."

"So, did your brilliant plan have put the key to the garage here too?"

"Uh," Lloyd paused for a moment.

"Car keys do us a lot of good if the car is in a locked garage we don't have the keys to," Genis said, "and just when I thought your IQ might be higher than a plastic kitten."

"Well at least I was smart enough to keep some emergency supplies up here," Lloyd said as he revealed the remaining contents of the compartment. Two flashlights, half a dozen C batteries, a case of crushed red peppers, two fireworks, and a small package of bottled water. Genis grabbed one of the flashlights and tried turning it on, only to find the batteries were dead. "That's why I brought these back up batteries," Lloyd said handing Genis two of the batteries.

"Lloyd," Genis said after opening the flashlight, "these need D batteries not C, and why do you have these other random supplies?"

"Well, they seemed like a good idea at the time."

"The water makes sence but the peppers," Genis paused for a moment, "Still, we need to do something."

"Any ideas?"

"Well we know they are after us, and are willing to kill to capture me. They won't give up this easily."

"Should we call the police?" Lloyd suggested.

"Even if we had a phone, I don't know if they would be able to help. These people appear to be from the government. It could make us easier to find."

"I never thought just going to the cemetery a couple nights ago would cause all this."

"Yea, I knew you had crazy ideas, but I would have never guessed that this would happen," Genis said as he leaned against one of the walls.

"All this because of that strange tomb."

"I think we should go back to it."

"Why?"

"I'm certain that it is connected to these people. If we can learn why then maybe we can stop them."

"Okay let's go."

"Now?" Genis should not have been surprised by Lloyd's haste.

"Why not?"

"After what happened last time, we need to be careful. We can't let them find us."

Lloyd let the ladder down, and he and Genis climbed down the unsteady steps. After a brief descent, they landed on the soaked ground. They walked through the drenched forest as the rain continued to fall from the trees, despite the clearing skies. Once they reached the end of the maze of trees, the sunlight revealed itself to them again.

They continued toward the front of the house, continuously keep an eye out for the agents to avoid detection. As they rounded a corner of the house, they noticed another van parked in front of the house, eerily similar to the one the agents arrived in. The three agents were talking to a new one who must have recently arrived.

"I can't believe you let them escape," the new one said.

"We apologize, agent West," Cross said, "We were pursuing them but they lost us as they entered the forest. Due to the severe storms; we thought it would be best not to pursue them."

"It would be an unfortunate event for something to happen to them. This situation is most perplexing," West continued, "Selena did not believe we would need her help at this early of stage."

"I'm surprised she isn't here," Stamper said.

"There were other matters she said she had to attend to. Don't worry, if the situation becomes dire enough, she will solve it. For now, search the forest top to bottom. I doubt they went too far from here.

"Understood," the three said, as they went into the woods. West soon followed them. Lloyd and Genis discreetly hid in the bushes beside the house to avoid detection.

Once they saw the agents vanish into the woods on the wild goose chase, they exited the bushes. "I can't believe how dumb they are," Lloyd said.

"This works out good for us at least," Genis replied.

"Let's grab some things out of the house while they are gone. If things get worse we want to make sure we will have the things that we need." Genis nodded and they entered the house, continuing to watch for any unwelcome guests. Lloyd was quick to grab what he thought might be needed. He picked up a set of keys for the house garage and truck, his wallet along with a small amount of money. Genis also took a couple working flashlights so they could see while navigating down to the tomb. They weren't sure of what they would find, but they knew that the tomb started the entire adventure.

_

The journey to the tomb seemed to be quicker this time. It could have been due to the bright day instead of the night, or perhaps, the fact that they were in a hurry to get there, instead one of them unwillingly going last time.

"Genis," Lloyd said as they walked down the road, "What do you think will happen there?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Genis sighed. "We still hardly know anything about this."

"It all started that night, so maybe something else will happen."

"I hope so. This all seems so weird."

As they were walking to the back of the cemetery to where the tomb was found before, they heard the sound of rocks moving. They ran to the tomb and found the opening was closed.

"How could it be closed?" Lloyd asked.

"There is an inscription on it. It looks like it was crafted similarly to the one we found below," Genis said as they looked at the cryptic message.

_Secrets of the deep lie buried_

_Closed but to those that are ready_

_By the moon's brightest night_

_Or the returning light_

"_I'm stumped," Lloyd said._

"_I wonder," Genis said as he summoned a small flame in his hand. He then set his palm against the inscription. The words grew a golden glow and an orange light surrounded where the hole had been before. The seemingly solid stone shifted creating the hole in the wall once again._

"_How did that happen?" Lloyd said as he jumped back at the sight._

"_The returning light," Genis whispered as he disintegrated the flame._

"_What?"_

"_I think this thing recognized the fire and opened because of it. It is normally closed."_

"_Then why did it open before?"_

"_I'm not sure but I think it was the night of a full moon. During those times it must be open."_

"_This makes no sense to me."_

"_I might be wrong, but I think that's what the inscription means."_

"_Well let's go down there again and see what else we can find out," Lloyd said as he crawled through the opening.._

"_Okay," Genis said and followed as Lloyd crept down the stairs once again. This time as Lloyd crawled down the stairs, he held a flashlight in his right hand to illuminate the pathway. The stairs reminded difficult to climb down, but now, they knew what to expect._

"_Lloyd, wait," Genis said and Lloyd stopped._

"_What?" _

"_Listen for a second," Genis whispered. They could hear the echo of footsteps in the distance. "I think someone else is down here."_

"_It could just be coming from outside." Genis turned behind him and pointed his flashlight in that direction. The path they had traveled on the way down had been sealed._

"_I don't think it is. These walls would block out the noise," Genis said as he once again faced the downward climb._

_As they continued down the path, they were worried. Their simple lives had been changed so much in only a couple days. "What have we stumbled into?" Genis asked quietly._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_It's just that, we found something that appeared to be a secret no one knew about. These powers could be fun, but there appears to be so much more to this then some strange fire. It can't be something as simple as we know."_

"_Yea, maybe I should have listened to you that night."_

"_I'm curious though. This seems to be only a small piece of something much larger. I just don't know what it is a piece of."_

"_We will find out. If anyone can solve this puzzle, then it is you."_

"_And you aren't a complete idiot most of the time."_

"_Thanks, I think. We can do this if we just take it one step at a time and stay together." Lloyd said as they slowly descended the stairs._

___

_They finally reached the end of the decent. The room was just like they had found it before. The layer of dirt, the cobwebs lining the walls, and the golden coffin still filled the room. Only this time, they weren't alone. A green haired woman stood inches from the tomb gazing over it. Her face could not be seen but she wore a suit similar to the agents they had met before. She was unarmed, and was too entranced by the coffin to notice the boys entering._

"_The coffin of sealed fire," she said as she walked around the tomb. "Long time since I've been waiting, really long. The end maybe, I hope," she continued nervously._

"_Who are you," Lloyd said and the woman finally looking up and noticed their presence._

"_Wait, how, what are you doing here?" she stuttered._

"_We could ask you the same question," Genis said._

"_It's you," she responded, "It shouldn't be this easy, but there is no one else that you could be. Ironic, ain't it?"_

"_We still don't know who you are?" Lloyd continued trying to find out who this lady was._

"_Ah, terrible sorry bout that. My name is Selena."_

"_So you are with those others?" Genis asked._

"_Ah, they said that they lost you. Really pathetic if you ask me, but now we can solve everything."_

"_What do you mean by that?" Lloyd asked. The two prepared to defend themselves if necessary._

"_Very simple, I need to capture you," Selena said._

"_Why is everyone after us?" Lloyd asked._

"_Well you see, those strange things happening, and with you then I can go, and well, they just need you. I don't really know myself," she stammered, "So just come with me and everything will be fine."_

"_Not a chance," Genis said._

"_You guys really don't have much choice you know." Selena pulled a paper out from her pocket. "Really strange that I come here and find you, while I planned to just let those guys handle you. Oh well, I guess I get to do both now."_

"_What are those marks on the paper?" Genis asked._

"_Why do you care about that Genis?" Lloyd whispered to him._

"_I don't know, it just seems to call me."_

"_Maybe you might be the one. I guess we will see, up the steps now," she ordered._

"_We won't go with you," Lloyd said. "Bonha," Lloyd shouted and his blade appeared in his hand. He pointed it at Selena._

_She just chuckled. "So that would explain it. We had hoped that we got here soon enough to avoid problems, but I guess that is why they have me here. Cryx," she said and a blade appeared in her right hand. Lloyd and Genis were shocked to see the weapon appear. "If we needed idiots for this job, well you see what happened there. Looks like I get to have some fun here," she smiled._

_Genis summoned the flame in his hand again. "It's two against one here," he said._

"_True, but I am me and you aren't me." Lloyd ran at her and swung his sword down at her. She raised hers to block the attack. "Wow, you suck," she said as she swung her sword's flat against Lloyd chest. The force of the impact flung Lloyd into the wall. Genis sent a stream of fire at her. Selena was still perfectly calm. She held her left hand up and wind came from nowhere and dissipated the flame. "Nope," she said. Selena them summoned concentrated streams of wind and sent them at Genis. They struck him tearing into his skin. The impact forced him into the wall beside Lloyd._

"_She is strong," Lloyd said._

"_Yea, and she knows how to fight us," Genis said as he rose to his feet. Blood was flowing down his arms. "Try that slash attack you used earlier." Lloyd nodded as he too got back up on his feet. He focused on the blade and swiped it through the air. "Demonic slash," he yelled and the energy flew of toward his opponent. Selena swung her blade down slicing the attack and dissipating it. "Nothing is working," Genis said._

"_It shouldn't be any surprise to you; after all, I have been doing this much longer then you. So simple, just surrender."_

"_Never," Lloyd said, "We will find a way to beat you."_

"_You really think we can?" Genis whispered to Lloyd._

"_Go and sneak around to her back while I distract her." he discreetly responded._

_Genis nodded and Lloyd ran at her again. His swipe was once again blocked easily. She countered his attack again, but this time Lloyd blocked it. She did not notice Genis creeping along the sides of the tight room. He sent another stream of fire at her, and she was too distracted to notice. She prepared to break Lloyd defense when she felt a heat wave from behind her. Turning, she saw the fire approaching her. Selena swiftly blew the fire away with more wind, with less then a second to spare. She then parried a blow from the swordsman who tried breaking through her defense with the distraction from the fire._

_Selena focused on the air around her and focused it into powerful streams of wind. Her attack lifted both the boys of the ground and slammed their heads into one another before they were tossed into a wall and landed back on the floor. "A bit closer then I would have liked. You two are strong but your resistance will end now," she ordered._

_Lloyd rose to his knees and slowly began to stand up. As he tried to place the weight on his feet, the pain all throughout his body slammed him back to the dirt-covered floor. The blade dropped from his hands and slid along the ground. His chest felt like it was on fire from the sword. His head throbbed like nothing he had felt from the crash with Genis' head, and his back felt like it would fall apart any moment from being thrown into the wall. He looked beside him and saw Genis lying their, appearing to be in as much pain as him._

_Genis saw Lloyd collapse again and wondered what would happen. Blood slowly dripped from his body onto the ground. And then, the pain surrounded him. The many slashes that covered his arms and legs felt like they were on fire. There was the aching feeling of being tossed around like a rag doll. He had been in pain before, but nothing like this. He wished for the branch falling on him again. At least that was only one spot and his body was soon numb to the feeling. Now it was different. The danger was still there this time. Selena slowly began walking over to them. Lloyd was as battered as he was. Genis knew that Lloyd's stubbornness would keep him up as long as his body could take it. Was there any hope for them?_

_As Selena towered over them, she looked down at the defeated swordsman. Lloyd knew they were beaten, but would not allow himself to admit it. He reached to grab his sword only to have his hand crushed by her shoe. "Stubbornness and determanation can only get you so far. Now if you please, stop resisting."_

"_Bite me," Lloyd said. Selena grabbed him up by the back of his collar and slammed his face into the wall beside them._

"_You are making things so hard for yourself here. I can see you trying to fight me, it's only natural to resist when you can, but I expected you to at least stop when you knew you would lose. Well you are coming with me, that is not changing." she said as she grinded his face into the brick. Selena was tired of the fighting. She knew she had won, and would force him to see it._

_Genis was appalled at the pain of his friend. He had one chance though. He slowly rose to his feet as the blood left an imprint of where his body had lain. "Noxap," he whispered to discreetly summon the flame into his right hand. The fierce stinging and vicious pounding throughout his body told him to stay down, but he would not listen to it. He pushed his body beyond any limits of pain and endurance he believed he had and ran at her. He hand struck her back as flames erupted from it. She flinched at the first pain the fight._

_She saw Genis behind her aimed her elbow for his face. He leaned back to dodge and gave her a left jab to the face, knocking her away from Lloyd. "You little whelps," she said wiping the blood of her mouth. "Demonic thrust!" she yelled thrusting her blade into the air at them. The sword was far from the two, but from the tip of the blade, a burst of energy came. It appeared to be concentrated force, rotating in the shape of the sword. The energy traveled across the room and landed in the wall inches besides Lloyd's head. The attack made a hole inches in diameter, but several feet deep._

"_Were not done yet either," Genis said handing Lloyd his sword._

"_Together now," Lloyd said._

"_Right," Genis nodded. _

_The younger boy sent the fire in his had to Lloyd's sword. He swiped it through the air as he had done before. In unison they called, "Flaming slash!" A shockwave traveled in the air once again, this time carrying the fire. Selena gathered wind around her blade and tried to cut the attack as she had done before, but this time, the attack threw her back into the coffin. She quickly jumped away as the gold began glowing brighter again. Selena fell to her knees and began mumbling to herself. "No, no, not now, can't let it happen again, control it, block it out," she said in a stammering tone as she had used earlier._

"_Let's get the heck out of here," Genis said._

"_Right," Lloyd said as they began climbing up the endless flight of steps while Selena continued stuttering. The pain was intense, but they blocked it out as they once went through the too familiar experience of climbing at least a hundred steps. After many moments passed, and they were certain that no one was following them, they reached the upper platform. Genis places his hand on the door that had closed and it opened again. They crawled out, once again exhausted. This time was different though. For one, they were in danger of more then Raine's punishment, and two, the pain from the battle could not be blocked out for long._

_A/N: And with that I end my longest chapter ever written. If Selena's dialogue seemed a bit strange, then that was on purpose. She is not mentally stable, but that is all I can say for now. While writing this, I started to think about Sheena and Selena being similar. This is not the case at all. Also, sorry for any typos, I have read through this on two different nights to hopefully catch them all. Finally, reviews, saying I'm awesome, saying I suck, suggestions, random love letters, or any other comments, I would love to get!_


	7. Chapter 7: Idiots and inscriptions

A/N: That last chapter had to leave many questions to it. You might get some answers here but I won't promise many. In addition, because of you people, I received a total of over 1000 hits to my stories in April. Thank you so much, it's all because of you people these stories become more then strange thoughts in my head.

Chapter 7: Idiots and inscriptions.

"What do you think happened to her?" Lloyd asked once the entrance sealed behind them.

"I don't know," Genis said as he tried to catch his breath. "She should have beaten us."

"Well that attack might have been enough to overpower her."

Genis shook his head, "It was stronger but not by that large of a degree. I could see it hurting her some, but nothing like that. I think the tomb had more to due with it."

"Why though?" Lloyd asked.

"The only thing I can think of is that her power is evil and ours is good and it somehow hurt her," Genis tried explaining. This was one of the few times, he had no idea.

"I wouldn't think it would be that simple though." Lloyd began walking from the cemetery "We should keep going. There is no telling when she will recover."

"Right," Genis said as he began walking to keep up with his friend. The rush of adrenaline had faded and the pain returned to the surface. The feeling of a thousand needles throbbing in his body told him to just stay and not push his body farther. He saw Lloyd continue through the same pain that he felt. If Lloyd could do it then so could he. Genis focused on his legs, moved them slowly, and began to keep up with Lloyd.

They continued without a word out of the cemetery and onto the street. The journey had to be their focus for them to overcome the pain. It was evening but the sun was still shining. Nature had thrown a torrent at them earlier in the day and now hardly a cloud could be seen in the sky. Summers in Ohio could really be bizarre at times.

The back roads were quiet during their trip, until a man in a red convertible pulled up beside the two. "Wow, you guys look like you just lost a fight with a lawn mower," he said.

"Yea, something like that," Lloyd responded, "You able to give us a ride home, something happened and we need to get back in a hurry.

"Sure, I'm not in any hurry, so I would be glad to help my friends."

Genis hated being called his friend, but he would hold his tongue for now. He would not have to walk over a mile after being hurt in more ways then Lloyd could count, so he could overlook the hatred. "Thanks Zelos," he said climbing into the back seat.

"So your house Lloyd?" Zelos asked as he pulled away.

"Actually mine," Genis said. He then guided the driver through the simple turns to his house. Lloyd wanted to ask Genis why not return to his house, but not in front of Zelos.

"What happened to you guys anyway? If I had to guess, I would say you decided to jump inside a giant blender."

"Well Lloyd had an idea and it went badly."

"You guys okay though?"

"Yea we will be fine," Lloyd said. "It was just a couple clumsy mistakes."

"If you say so. I really think you should focus on girls more. They are more fun and don't cause that much pain." Genis resisted an urge to make Zelos' red hair ignite. They arrived at Genis' house and he and Lloyd exited the car.

"Thanks for the ride," Lloyd said.

"Anything for my buddies," Zelos said as he pulled away.

"I really hate that guy," Genis said once Zelos couldn't hear.

"Me too, but he kept us from walking."

"I don't see why Colette likes him," Genis said as he unlocked the door.

"She likes everyone. That's just the type of person she is."

"You know you like her,"

"Drop it, Genis," Lloyd said as he followed Genis into the nice cool air.

"What ever you say Lloyd," he said as he noticed a note on the kitchen counter. '_Another dumb curricular meeting day at the high school. I should be back around eight and will bring dinner with me'_ "Well at least she won't kill me with her cooking."

"What time is it Genis?"

"Almost seven."

"Well there is still an hour until she gets here. We need to decide what to tell her," Lloyd said as he sat on the couch.

"Yea, we can't hide this from her any longer."

_

"I report failure in my mission,"

"Selena, you disappoint me."

"I have no excuse. They were stronger then I had thought they should be at this stage, but it still should have been an easy fight."

"They!?"

"Yes, there were two of them. One held the sword of bonha and the other the flame of noxap."

"That is most unusual. Perhaps this will work to our advantage," he responded.

"Do you wish for me to go after them again?" Selena questioned her superior.

"Hm, not yet, we can't afford to have another incident like before. Just because there are no signs, does not mean it wouldn't get out of control. Another battle could trigger it, so we want to make sure you stay here for now."

"I understand. Who will you send?"

"West's team should be able to handle them."

"Are you sure?"

"Not entirely, but this is not the time for drastic measures yet. Once we are sure it will be safe, you will join them if needed."

"Understood," Selena said as she left the room. She knew she had failed in the simple mission but she also knew that they needed her. If things went right for her, that would soon change.

"Selena, you have made things difficult for us once again," he said to no one. "If this time it will truly work then all these years will finally pay off. I know you want it Selena, to finally be free. I would love nothing more than to give it to you, but until they come, I can't."

_

"How do you think she will take it?" Lloyd asked as he sat on the couch beside Genis.

"Knowing her, she will kill us for doing this, and then beg us to tell her everything about it."

Lloyd chuckled, knowing it was true. "Seriously though, we have no idea what will happen. Do you think we will be safe?"

"After what happened today, I have no idea. We lucked out twice, so we can't count on that again." Genis said.

"What if we aren't their only targets?" Lloyd asked.

"What do you mean?"

"They are after us and will stop at nothing to get us. What if they go after Raine next to draw us out or something?"

Genis' face became as white as a sheet. "You really think they would?" he said as his voice was shaking.

"I hope not but we can't discount that possibility."

"T-that would be horrible."

"If things get worse, it might happen."

"Lloyd, what can we do then? I couldn't forgive myself if something we got into hurt Raine," Genis said as tears began running town his cheek from the gripping fear.

"Don't cry, we can handle this."

"How though?"

"I don't know. It's like you always tell me though. Break down complex problems into simple ones."

"But how do we break this down? We hardly know anything and now I have to worry about keeping Raine safe!" Genis screamed.

"Calm down Genis," Lloyd said placing a hand on his shoulder, "This won't be easy but we can do this together. Remember you have me here."

"Thanks," Genis said as he stretched his body across the couch. His head rested right next to Lloyd leg. "This pain is so bad. I just want to lie down."

"You dork," Lloyd said as he messed up his friend's hair. "Although, I could do without it."

"You realize we still have no idea what we are going to do," Genis said as he gazed up at Lloyd's face. "It's almost 7:30 now," he said as he looked at the clock.

"Well, you are the smart one, come up with a plan," Lloyd said.

Genis pulled a piece of paper out of his back pocket. "This might be able to tell us something," he said as he sat up and placed the paper on the floor.

"What is it?"

"I stole this form Selena right before I hit her back with that fire."

"Why?"

"I guessed it had information on it. It is almost blank though," Genis said as he looked at the nearly clean paper. Only four lines were written on top

_The enemy came and fought_

_His end was near and not long_

_In fear we lose all he taught_

_By my tomb it shall carry on_

On the left side of the paper, beside the writing, a red circle existed. "This makes absolutely no sense to me," Lloyd said.

"If we could figure out who's tomb it speaks of, then maybe we could learn something from this."

"Maybe it was the person who had that massive thing built for them," Lloyd suggested.

"Idiot!" Genis shouted as he slammed his fist into the paper, "Why didn't I check to see whose it was before.

"Don't worry about it," Lloyd said as Genis raised his fist from the paper, "We can just go check it tomorrow."

"Yea I guess you are-"

"Look at the paper," Lloyd interrupted.

"Wh" Genis started to say as he looked at the paper. Below the first lines, new words appeared.

_Mighty forces bring me down_

_Hurricanes from far wear my gown_

_I separate the vast powers to be_

_For my force come inside me_

Beside the letters a dark blue circle appeared, similar to the red one above it. "Will these ever make sense?" Lloyd said

"I don't think they are supposed to be easy to figure out."

"So what do we do with this?" Lloyd said as Genis continued analyzing the words for a few minuets.

"I think I might have an idea what it means," Genis said as he leapt of the couch and turned on his sister's computer.

"How do you get these so fast?" Lloyd asked as he watched over Genis' shoulder.

"It's just a guess but I think it might be talking about…"

_

A/N: Not giving it away this chapter. If you have a guess to what the inscriptions mean, guess and I will tell you if you are right. And to a certain review, I never said how soon. I hope you enjoyed and I will make sure to search for those evil typos. Next chapter soon I hope.


	8. Chapter 8: Future Decided

Chap 8: Future Decided

"You can't be serious?"

"Well Lloyd, it makes sense to me at least."

"Yea, but go to Canada?" Lloyd said standing beside Genis, who was busy searching the internet.

"I'm fairly certain that's what it is talking about. I don't see any other places that fit the criteria as well," Genis said, "But there is only one way to know for sure."

Lloyd thought for a moment. There was no one whose logic and reasoning he trusted more than Genis. He knew that things would get worse around here if he did nothing. Even going out on a limb would be better than letting the enemy win. It wasn't just a limb either, it was his best friend's idea. "All right, let's go."

"I'll tell Raine about it when she gets home then, and see how she thinks we can get there?"

"No, I meant leave right now?"

"What! Are you out of your mind?" Genis yelled.

"Well think about it like this; you know that Raine would never let us do something this crazy. If we leave without telling her, then she can't stop us."

"Lloyd you realize how crazy that is? It was one thing to sneak out and go to the cemetery, but to skip the country! She will kill us!"

"Come on Genis, with everything that has happened, we know things will get worse if we do nothing. You said it yourself, you don't want to get Raine involved, so if we don't let her, then she will be safe."

"Lloyd, you have some of the strangest logic of anyone I know. After this, I recommend you have you brain examined." A smile crept across Genis' face.

"You mean…"

"Yep."

"Okay, pack your bags; we have a long trip in front of us." Genis ran to his room, pulled out a suitcase, and began filling it with clothes and other necessities. He looked at the clock and saw it was a quarter till 8. With Raine arriving home soon, he didn't have much time so he rushed. Normally, he would make sure everything was nice and folded, but he just tossed what would fit and decided that was good enough. Within five minuets, he came down the stairs, carrying a suitcase, thinking he had everything. "Come on let's go to my house," Lloyd said

"Hold on, I want to leave Raine a note saying what is going on. If anything, just so she won't worry as much."

"Okay, hurry up though." Genis quickly set the note on the counter, and they exited the house, and began running through the evening sun. While they were tired, it was not a far distance, less than half a mile. Lloyd wanted to go faster, but with Genis carrying the suitcase, it didn't hurt them any to slow down.

"So how were you able to figure that out so quickly?" Lloyd asked as they walked.

"Well the symbol on the end looked like something with water, and the line 'hurricanes wear my gown' made me more certain."

"But that didn't limit it down much."

"Yea, but the '_Mighty forces bring me down' _told me it would be a waterfall," Genis explained, "I'm thinking the vast powers mean vast countries which it would be between. The US and Canada are two of the biggest in the world. It being far from hurricanes tell me it would be north. Putting it all together-"

"And you get Niagara Falls."

"Basically."

When they reached Lloyd's house, they were glad to see that it was empty. The agents must have gone looking for them elsewhere, but they were still on the watch for anyone suspicious. Lloyd opened the door and he and Genis slowly crept into the empty house. Just as Genis had done earlier, Lloyd grabbed a suitcase and threw anything he thought he might need. He left his dad a quick note as well, and as quickly as they entered, they left.

Lloyd and Genis entered Dirk's truck and tossed their bags into the back seat. "So Genis, how do we get to Niagara Falls?" Lloyd asked as they began pulling out of the driveway

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You're the smart one."

Genis sighed. "Just go in and map quest it." Lloyd exited the truck and ran back into the house.

'_I can't believe all this is happening,' _Genis thought, '_I planned to be starting high school, but instead I am leaving the country. Everything around me is changing. When I first discovered that fire, I wanted to know what it was and where it came from. Now that these things are happening, I would feel better off if I never found it. It was fun at first, even with the tree falling on my leg. Now, not just me, but Lloyd and maybe even Raine are in danger. I still want to learn more about this though. Not just for my own curiosity, but to keep us safe. For one, I'm not certain that this is where we are supposed to go next. It makes sense, but it's so cryptic, I can't know for sure. Once we get there, how do we get in the falls? So many variables, and if I am wrong, then what?_

Lloyd powered on the computer. As he entered the address into map quest, he waited for the results. He then realized he couldn't spell Niagara. After doing some internet searches for the right destination, he printed of the directions. He glanced at the directions. '_I-90, 271, shouldn't be too hard for us. This might be the last time I will be at my house for a long time. Something much bigger than we know is happening, but I just can't tell what it is. I wish we could have all these cool powers without needing to use them, but things like that don't happen outside of TV. Then again, people don't just randomly gain the power to control fire or make a sword appear out of nowhere. With Genis with me, we can get through this, I hope.'_

Lloyd returned to the truck and began backing out of the driveway. "Here Genis," he said handing his friend the directions, "You job is for us not to get lost."

"Okay, you back out of the driveway and turn the wheel."

"I know that part genius."

"Okay, just get on 70 and head east."

"Okay," Lloyd said as he drove away from his house. He took one last look at it through the rear view mirror. The sun was partly hidden by the woods behind the house. The place that many of his favorite memories occurred began fading into the distance. He had no idea when he would return or even if.

He felt it, the moment in time when everything he knew changed. This was the first step in his new life. The simple past of childhood was no more. Even though he was still the same Lloyd, he felt a new burden along with freedom placed on him. He longed for the simplicity that held his life only a week earlier, when his biggest fear was returning to school. Now he was caught in a life and death struggle that he didn't even understand. He knew it was bigger than just his own life.

Glancing to his side, he looked at Genis. Lloyd wouldn't let his recklessness endanger him anymore. In his old life, he would laugh at the strange situations he always got his friend into, but this time, it was different. There was no parent to come and fix things, a mistake couldn't be fixed with just a simple apology.

"Genis?" he said in a rarely serious tone.

"Yea?" Lloyd could tell he was nearly falling asleep.

"I'll protect you. I promise."

"Thank you. I'll protect you too. Remember, we are in this together."

'_Yea, together. Just like always.' _"Try getting some sleep. I should be fine for now."

"Okay." It didn't take much persuasion for Genis to lean his head against the window and close his eyes. Within moments, Genis drifted out of conciseness. Lloyd kept his eyes set on the road ahead of them. They began traveling east along the highway. The sun began hiding beneath the horizon. Lloyd knew the sun would rise again, but he wondered if his normal life would ever return.


	9. Chapter 9: Letters

Chapter 9: Letters

Raine walked into the house after a long day of useless bureaucratic meetings, and was surprised by the silence. Normally Genis would be there to greet her, or at least say something from his room. Maybe he was with Lloyd again, but he would at least tell her in someway. She looked around for a note or something that would show where he was. That's when she saw it.

_Dear Raine, I'm sorry but I won't be here tonight when you get home._

Why are you apologizing? It's not like you did anything wrong.

_Lloyd and I are leaving. It might be a long time until we get back._

This doesn't make any sense. Where are they going and why?

_I guess you could say we are running away. Please don't worry about us, we will be okay._

What! Why are they doing this? You tell me not to worry after you decide to run away?

_In the past few days, some strange things have happened. While I wish I could tell you about it, the less you know the better._

How is not knowing a good thing? What things have happened? Why can't you tell me!

_I hope I can talk to you soon, but I can't make any promises. I love you Raine. Genis._

Genis, why? I can't lose you too. You are all that's left of my family. Don't do this to me.

_

Dirk walked into the house early in the morning, before sunrise. He had told Lloyd he wouldn't be back until much later in the day. He was slightly surprised that Lloyd was nowhere to be found. He expected he would be fast asleep at this hour. After he had decided Lloyd was probably just at a friend's house, he found a letter from his son.

_Dad, I don't know how to tell you this, but I have to leave. This is the last thing that I want to happen, but there is no other way._

Leave, what are you taking about, boy?

_I can't get into any details, but a few days ago, Genis and I discovered something. We don't know much about it, but we know that it is dangerous for anyone around us. I wish I could tell you that we would be safe, but I can't lie to you. If anything happens, I don't want those I love to be put into danger because of me. I hope I can return soon. Love you Dad._

Looks like you've got yourself in another mess. I wish I could have stopped you, but you wouldn't let me. I can only guess what it is that you found, but I trust you. You might be reckless at times, but you have a good heart and wouldn't put your dad through this much stress for nothing. Stay safe Lloyd.

_

The day came and went without any sign of Lloyd and Genis. It was evening when Dirk's phone rang.

"Hello."

"I'm so glad you are back." The voice on the other end was ecstatic.

"Are you okay Raine?"

"What do you think? I have no idea where Genis is and no idea where he went!"

"Don't worry, they will be fine."

"How can you say that?"

"I trust my son, even when he does crazy things, his heart is always in the right place. Genis is a good kid too, I'm sure they won't do anything dangerous they don't have to."

"I guess, so, but I just can't stand not knowing. Did Lloyd tell you anything in the letter?"

"Can't say he did."

"Same here"

"I'm sure they will tell us what is going on as soon as they can."

"True, I can't stand not knowing."

"They must have a good reason for doing what they did."

"I suppose so. Call me if you hear anything."

"I will. Bye."

A/N: Really short, but I though this deserved to be put into the story. In this story, Dirk is Lloyd's biological father. Kratos might have a role later, but not as his father. I plan to go into more detail with the rest of the families later on in the story.


	10. Chapter 10: Kindness and Trust

Chapter 10: Kindness and Trust

He had a long and never-ending path ahead of him, surrounded by the colorless sky above the road. All the streetlights along the empty highway made the journey fell monotonous. Each mile they traveled was another mile close to what ever it was they were going to, and another mile farther from the life they knew. Lloyd could feel his eyes grow heavy; it had been a grueling day. As the car traveled down the highway, Lloyd's mind began drifting away.

"Genis wake up," he said softly.

"Huh, what is it?" Genis said as he was slowly waking up.

"I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble concentrating on the road."

"Think we should stop for a while?" he suggested. Genis knew that Lloyd would keep pushing himself to continue, and feared what it could lead them to.

"I want to keep going, but I just need someone to talk to," he said through a yawn

"Lloyd, it's three in the morning," Genis said looking at the clock of the broken radio.

"Yea, I know. We crossed the border about an hour ago."

"You really think this is safe?"

"Talking to you should keep me awake."

"Okay Lloyd, so what do you want to talk about?" There was no response. "Lloyd?" he said again. Still no response. Genis could feel the car accelerating and slowly drifting to the side. He turned to Lloyd and noticed he was beginning to lean forward and his hand was slowly pulling the wheel to the side. "Lloyd!" he screamed and the driver reawaked with a jerk that slammed the gas petal to the floor and pulled the wheel to the side. In a fraction of the second, the car flew off the side of the road and began rolling down a hill. The car was about to crash into several trees and Lloyd was slamming on the brakes but he could not stop the car in time. The collision slammed Lloyd's chest into the steering wheel forcing his head into the dash and Genis flew through his seat belt and out of the window, colliding into the tree.

_

"I'm so sorry I parked in front of the tow away zone Mr. Bryant."

"Stacy, as I have told you a hundred times before, don't worry about it. We all make mistakes." Regal was driving home from his shift at his hotel. Even though he was quite a wealthy man and could easily get by letting all his employees do the work, he enjoyed being part of the daily workings of the hotel.

"Yea, but is just so embarrassing to have my boss have to take me home," Stacy said. She was one of Regal's younger employees. She had worked for him during the past few summers in various possessions, and was now being trained in some of the management responsibilities. She contemplated complaining about the boring ride and her boss' taste in music, but thought now was not the time. While gazing out the window, Stacy noticed several lights beside the rode in front of them. "What is that?" she said pointing toward them.

As they passed the spot, Regal joined in her gaze and they could make out a truck that had collided with a tree. "I hope they were all right," Regal said.

"Think we should go check?" she asked.

"It couldn't hurt," Regal said as he slowly pulled the car beside the road and they walked over to the crashed truck.

The first thing the noticed was the boy lying on the hood of the car. Blood was covering most of his body and had begun to spread from the spot he laid upon. "Is he?" Stacy couldn't bring herself to finish her question.

"Sadly, I don't see how he could be alive." Regal reached to the blood-covered boy, expected no signs of life. Instead, he found gentle breathing and a weak, but continues pulse. "How are you still alive?" he said out of shock.

"W-wait, h-he's alive?"

"I don't understand this, but yea he is. "

"There is another person in the car," Stacy said. When they reached him, they noticed a large gash on his forehead with blood running down onto his face and steering wheel. There were also various cuts and bruises along the rest of both bodies. Regal checked for a pulse, and once again found one.

"These kids should be dead after something like that."

"What should we do?" Stacy asked.

"Take them to a hospital. It's a miracle they survived this long, but in their condition, we better find a doctor." Regal had to carefully consider the best way to get them to the hospital. They could call an ambulance, but that might take too long. "Stacy, help me get them into the back of the car and then you drive them. I'll stay in back with them and see to it they aren't injured further."

"Wait, you want me to drive your prized car? I only got my license a few months ago."

"People's lives are more important then any vehicle. Besides, I have good insurance." They carefully laid the unconscious teens into Regal's luxurious car while Regal stayed in the back seat with them, to keep them from falling. "Stacy, there is a reason this car has so much power and this is it," he instructed. She went with Regal's instruction and floored the pedal, accelerating the car at immense speed.

Regal's car was a Dodge Charger, a car known for its power. With an empty road in front of them, and a straight path, Stacy pushed the car to its limit. Even the normally composed Regal, was nervous at the teen's crazy driving. He couldn't blame her, she was just following instructions.

After a short and enjoyable drive, Stacy pulled of the highway and began taking the streets to the nearest hospital in Toronto. She somewhat recklessly weaved along the roads until finally reaching her destination. The relieved hotel owner got out of the car and quickly alerted the hotel staff.

Several nurses rushed out to help the boys, setting them each in a stretcher and carrying them into the emergency room. They did not know what they would find, but after just one look, they knew seconds could make the difference between life and death.

Once the boys were being operated on, a nurse came out to ask Regal about them. "What are there names?" she asked.

"The older one is Lloyd Irving and the younger is Genis Sage." Stacy looked up wondering how he already knew their names.

"And you would be their legal guardian?"

"No, but their parents are out of town now."

"Are you related to them?"

"Yes, I am their uncle," Regal lied flawlessly. Stacy once again looked up at him, trying to figure out what he was doing. He gazed back at her, telling her that this was not the time for questions.

"Ah, I see."

In the operating room, the doctors were amazed to find, that beneath all the blood and wounds, there was little serious damage, especially considering the cause of their injuries. At first, they guessed Lloyd would have a major concussion along with brain damage and that Genis wouldn't even survive. After only an hour of operations, Lloyd's head wound was stitched up and Genis had several gashes that would take time to heal, and a broken arm from hitting the tree, but nothing worse..

_

"Stacy, I need you to stay here at the hospital while I go check on something. I will take you home as soon as I can."

"Sure, but did you really know them?"

"No."

"Then why lie to the doctors?"

"I have a suspicion about those boys, but I can't know for sure until they wake up. I'm certain though, that they weren't just normal travelers."

_

"My head is killing me," Lloyd said softly feeling like his head was going to explode.

"Well that would make sense. Hitting your head that hard would cause severe cranial discomfort," a doctor replied.

Thoughts and memories flowed back to Lloyd. He remembered leaving home, driving along the rode, crashing into the tree, Genis screaming, "Genis!" Lloyd yelled trying to climb out of the hospital bed. He didn't get to far when his head started hurting worse due to the sudden movement, causing him to trip on the side rail and fall onto the floor, knocking several instruments over.

"Careful, Lloyd. You may made miraculous progress, but that doesn't mean you should overexert yourself," the doctor said helping him back into bed.

"Is Genis alright though?"

"Well, he will recover, but it will take a while." A feeling of relief came over him. "Your uncle is with him now."

"My uncle?" Lloyd asked. No had known they had left except maybe Raine and Dirk, and even they didn't know where they were going.

"Yea, he was the one who brought you here. I'll go get him," the doctor said leaving the room.

A few seconds later, the doctor reentered with Regal behind him. "I'm glad to see you are awake Lloyd," he said calmly. He then went to Lloyd and whispered in his ear, "I know I'm not your uncle and don't know what's going on, but I'm here to help." Regal then got up and thanked the doctor.

Lloyd felt it was unusual for this stranger to come and help them, and wondered why he was posing as their uncle. Then it hit him, that guy must be from the government agents wanting to capture him and Genis. Being trapped in the hospital in this condition, meant that there was no way to escape. Maybe Genis could think of a plan.

"Is my friend awake yet?" Lloyd asked.

"Yea, I was just talking to him," Regal responded.

"Could I see him?"

"It would be unwise for you to move in you condition," the doctor said.

"Would I be able to take him their in a wheelchair?" Regal asked.

"I suppose that could work for a short time."

"Thank you," Regal said. He then helped Lloyd to not trip getting into the chair, and then rolled him to the next room.

"Thanks," Lloyd said, "You mind leaving us alone for a few?"

"Not at all," Regal politely said and then left the room.

"Wow Lloyd, they finally put a brain in there?" Genis said noticing the large amount of bandages around Lloyd's head.

"You must not be in too bad of shape in insult me like that."

"I could be worse."

"We have to get away from that Regal guy, I think he is working with those government agents to capture us."

"Lloyd, I think you have it wrong. He is the one that found our wrecked truck and brought us here. He is the owner of the Lezerno hotel here in Toronto."

"Wait, what?"

"Yea, he explained who he was and how he found us when I woke up. He even agreed to pay all our hospital bills and let us stay at his hotel for a few days once we get out of here."

"Sounds too good to be true," Lloyd said.

"You have a point," Genis replied, "But for now, we need him."

"I don't want to be walking into a trap though."

"I know how you feel," Genis said looking down. "We have to be careful, but if we let such an opportunity get away…"

"What do you think we should do?" Lloyd asked.

"Well let's accept his kindness for now, but make sure we have a way out if we need to. If we had to, I think we could fight are way out of this, but that would be attracting way too much attention."

"Fighting sounds like something I would come up with."

"We have to consider all options," Genis said, "With my fire and your sword, along with the surprise we could probably get away from most things they could throw at us."

"For now, just focus on getting better," Lloyd instructed as he rolled himself out of the room. While Genis never said anything to him, Lloyd knew it was all his fault they were in this situation. Once again, his recklessness nearly caused the death of the one he cared about most. He knew that Genis would forgive him, he always did, but that didn't alleviate the guilt of his latest mistake. The worst part was, it was his desire to get away from the danger, which led them to the crash. Desire alone would not be enough; he needed to think through his decisions now. Only then, could he keep his friend safe.


	11. Chapter 11: Uncertainty

"Glad to see you two are doing better," Stacy said as she entered their room to clean it. For the past couple days they had been staying at Regal's Lezerno hotel. Regal had agreed to let them stay, until they had completely recovered. They boys were still suspicious of his motives, but decided it would be foolish not to accept his kindness.

"I can't believe how much this stranger has done for us," Lloyd said. He had recovered for the most part, and was able to walk again.

"Yea, first paying for our hospital bills and now letting us stay here," Genis added. The younger boy had also recovered from most of his injuries. The only evidence he had flown through a car window were a few bruises. He even had the cast taken off his arm. The doctors were baffled at the recovery, but dismissed the broken arm as false readings.

"Um, you guys know that in Canada hospitals are free?"

"Wait, why did he tell us that then?" Genis asked.

"I knew we couldn't trust him. He just lied so that we would trust him and has just been stringing us along this whole time!"

"I have known Regal for years and he would never do something like that. He is one of the kindest, most giving, cool people I know," Stacy said.

"I'm sure you are in on this thing too. Just to help string us along. I'm going down there to give him a piece of my mind and then we are leaving. Come on Genis."

"Lloyd, calm down. Maybe you are right, but we don't have anyway to get out of here. I see your point, but we have to be smart about this." Lloyd was once again confronted by the logic of his friend. Genis was right and he knew it, but he didn't want to stay around this deceiver anymore.

"I'm going for a walk," Lloyd said angrily, "I'll be back soon."

"I'll come with you. I hate being stuck in this room for so long."

Lloyd and Genis wondered around the vast hotel. The décor was filled with beauty and the hotel had a luxurious feel to it. The building was seven floors high, with the rooms along the outer edge and the walkways around each floor that overlooked the beautiful lobby. The two were examining the lobby from just outside their room on the second floor when they saw a few familiar faces walk into the hotel.

The group walked up to the front counter and requested to see the manager. Regal exited his office and went to greet them. "How may I help you?"

"I am agent West," the one greeted him; "We are from the American government's FBI. We have strong evidence that leads us to believe two dangerous criminals are here and we request permission to search your establishment to find them." Regal thought about the two strangers he had taken care of recently. Could it be them?

"Ma'am, could you please provide me with a search warrant?"

"We have no time for this," she responded, angry that the mangier wouldn't give in.

"I understand your concern and am willing to help in anyway possible. Nevertheless, please remember that I also have an obligation to my guests to provide them with an enjoyable stay. If you can't provide evidence to warrant a search, I see no reason why I should allow you to disrupt their stay."

"Sir, you don't understand, lives are in danger."

"Them I'm sure you can convince a judge of the same, and then I will allow you to catch these vicious criminals," Regal said once again remaining calm while the agent's anger started to flare.

"Just get out of our way and let us search!" West screamed. Several members of the hotel security staff walked toward the argument.

"Until you provide me evidence to warrant your search, I am going to have to ask you to leave." West and the other agents angrily left the hotel, creating as large a scene as possible. She couldn't believe that she was so close to capturing them when a simpleton got in her way.

The pieces began to fall together for Regal. He was nearly certain that they were the ones the agents were after, but he could see no reason why. It could explain why they were running toward Canada, but they didn't seem like criminals. He had to add in the final piece, but he wasn't sure if the boys would be willing to tell him the true story.

Lloyd and Genis swiftly went back to their room. After seeing the agents that threatened their lives before, they knew that the danger had followed them. This meant that their plan to keep their family out of danger had worked.

"Maybe we really can trust Regal," Lloyd said locking the door behind him.

"I wonder if he knows we are the reason they are here."

"It wouldn't surprise me if he did. He seems to be able to pick up on things quickly."

"Well what do we do from now?" Genis asked sitting on a bed.

Lloyd began to answer when a knock on the door interrupted him. He opened the door and Regal walked into the room. "You know who those people were, don't you?" he asked solemnly.

They didn't know how to answer the question so they were silent for a moment. Lloyd tried to come up with a lie that would keep them safe. If Regal knew the danger they were in, he probably wouldn't let them stay any longer. There was more at steak then he realized, and they didn't want to risk another innocent person becoming involved.

After a moment of thinking Lloyd began, "Well-"

"Yea, we do," Genis said interrupting him. Lloyd gave his friend a strange look. He wondered if Genis was going to be truthful or find another way out of this. The younger boy wasn't sure what the right answer would be. He wanted to know what Regal knew before answering any questions. "How much do you know about us?" he asked.

"Well, a lot of it is speculation," he answered. "If I am right, then you two were running away from home for some reason. I could see no other reason for two teenagers to be driving to Canada that late at night. You had to get out of the area fast. I would guess that you were in danger of some kind."

"Should we tell him?" Lloyd asked turning back to his friend.

Genis sighed and locked gazes with Regal. He could tell that Regal was an honest and generous man, but if he learned the truth, would he still be willing to help him?

"I can see why you are uneasy trusting someone you just met like me," Regal said, breaking the silence, "I know you have been through a lot. I promise, that if you tell me your reasons, then I will do what I can to aid you, as long as it won't hurt those I care about."

"Alright," Genis said softly, "this is why they are after us." Genis held his palm up. Doubt filled his mind, but he felt like he could trust Regal. After this moment, there was no turning back. "Noxap," he said and the small flame appeared in his hand. Rising from the bed, he showed the control he had over it.

"About a week ago, we both gained strange powers," Lloyd explained, "Genis can control fire and I can summon a sword. Shortly after this, those agents have been after us. We barely escaped them back in Ohio and left without a word to hopefully keep our family safe."

"So that's why you came here," Regal said trying to take in all this information.

"Well not just that," Genis said as he dissipated the flame. "We believe there is something in Niagara Falls similar to what gave us these powers."

"Y'know your story would have to be one of the most outrageous things I have ever heard. With your evidence though, I find no reason not to believe you."

"It was a lot for us to take in too," Lloyd said.

"Yea, there is a lot to this that we don't know."

"Well I would love to learn more about this so I will help you in anyway I can. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you," Genis said.

"I'm sorry for thinking you were leading us into a trap."

Regal laughed slightly. "Given your situation I can't blame you. Now if you will excuse me, I promised to meet my wife Alicia for lunch," he said as he began to leave the room, "I would be honored to take you to the falls tomorrow if you feel well enough."

"Sure, thanks again," Lloyd said.

The day continued normally. Lloyd and Genis decided it would be best to rest for the remainder of the day, so they would be ready for whatever would happen at the falls. They weren't even sure what they would find and how they would find it.

Genis continuously searched online for any signs of strange occurrences at the falls. He saw stories of people riding over it and even the story of the child who fell from the top and survived. There was nothing he could find, that was anything similar to where he gained his fire.

Even with all the worries of the coming events, sleep still came easy to the boy. However, as the bustling city came to a stand still and the peaceful night surrounded him, his restless mind could not be calmed. His dreams flowed in every direction leaving him mentally strained.

He saw himself in a forest that had flaming branches falling all around. Even when he should fear, he was frozen, only able to stand and watch as the trees turned to buildings and people ran in horror. What once seemed to be a waterfall, now only poured out an all-consuming blaze. The figures ran in every direction but even so, Genis could not tell his legs to move. Turning his head, he could see the faces of the victims. An old silver haired man caught his attention. "I expected better from you," he said before becoming another victim.

"Why did you let this happen?" Why didn't you help us" the voices called from all around him. All around him, they lashed accusations at him, but he could not bring himself to answer them.

"So this is what you fear?" another voice called. This one was calmer and much clearer then the calls of hatred.

"Who are you?" Genis asked and the crowd faded.

"That is unimportant," he responded as falling debris covered the streets in a sea of flames. "Your dreams tell me so much, all of your fears assembled here."

Genis could tell the difference between the setting and this person. The figure was real while all the rest was a fading vision. However, the figure's physical appearance could not be determined. His mind could not form the words to question this stranger.

"You are right that I am not a part of your dream," he said seemingly reading the boy's thoughts. "I see you fearing you won't be strong enough to defend those you care about. There is a reason that dream a few nights ago seemed so real to you." Genis' eyes widened at the strangers comment. "It was real, or at least it will be. Your powers extend far beyond your fire."

"What do you know?"

"I know that for you to protect those you love, you must become stronger. I doubt you will be lucky enough to beat Selena again as you are now. Niagara Falls is the first step in your journey, but far from the last. I can also tell you that your powers include much more than you would guess. Your body has been given the ability to heal itself faster than any doctor could. Both you and Lloyd have this gift. There is more that you will discover."

"Tell me more," Genis begged. This was the first time he had the chance to learn what was going on, but it was ending too soon.

"Sadly, I can not, but we will actually meet someday. The start of your answers will be at the falls," he said as he too began fading.

Genis leapt up in his bed and could fell his heart racing. The heat in the dream that didn't bother him, had now covered his arms and chest in a layer of sweat. He was breathing hard and his body desired anything but sleep regardless of early hour. Looking across the room, he saw Lloyd, still oblivious to his encounter. Genis grabbed a notebook and pen and discreetly exited to the balcony.

Using the faint light of the stars and the moon, along with the streetlights below, Genis wrote down as much as he could remember from the dream. He wanted to record as much as he could, before he would forget.

While writing, Genis did not notice the door opening again until he heard a voice. "You realize leaving the country means we don't have to do homework, right?"

"Oh, sorry for waking you Lloyd."

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't sleeping that good to begin with. So, what brought you out here?" Lloyd said through a yawn.

"I had another dream."

"What happened?"

"Well, at first there was a lot of destruction that didn't really make sense. The important part is, I think someone communicated to me through it."

"What did they say?"

"They said that we need to get stronger and that going to the falls is the beginning of this. He also explained that our bodies were given an ability to heal themselves much faster than normal."

"That would explain a lot." Lloyd once again yawned and struggled keeping his eyes open. "I'm going to try sleeping more. You should do the same,"

"I will soon," Genis said as his friend went back inside. Once he was done recording his dream, he spent a few moments just gazing at the serene city. For a moment, all seemed right, but hidden beneath the quiet, anxious feeling existed. Genis wanted to just embrace the gentleness before the ominous presence threatened to engulf him.

As Genis went to reenter the room, he found that the door was locked. He banged on the door several times, but Lloyd was sleeping completely oblivious to his friend's suffering. After a couple moments, the younger boy gave up, laid down on the balcony, and drifted into a dreamless slumber.

A/N: Considering I was almost falling asleep as I wrote the last part, I hope I caught the feeling of being tired. Don't worry, I read through it when I was more awake before posting. With all the weird things going on, Genis' dream adds to the confusion. The next chapter will be a bit different, but I will pull everything together someday.


	12. Chapter 12: Darkness and Light part 1

A/N: This chapter will be different then the previous ones, with the story told from a different perspective. The chapter may look like it has nothing to do with the story, but it will all make sense eventually.

Chapter 12: Darkness and Light Part 1

The building continued to rattle from the fight upstairs. Even several stories underground, he was far from safe. The sounds of guns firing continually filtered down from the ceiling. The last explosion caused the entire structure to shake. He could tell they didn't care about their own lives, but only their mission.

Rattan rose from his quiet meditation and opened the door that led to the stairs. He could hear the screams of death and pain from above him as he quietly climbed the steps. It amazed him how large of a force his enemies could have thrown into one battle. They had been a thorn in his side for as long as he had been in command, but he never would have thought they would actually be able to destroy him like this.

The commander arrived at the next story and could see how badly his forces were outnumbered. Blood covered the floor, as it flowed out from the fallen soldiers. Only about 10 of his men remained with most of them crouching behind crates to avoid the gunfire. It looked like there were nearly 50 enemies in their camouflage clothing. While it might aid them in hiding at night, under the lights of the building, they stood out easily. They were at the opposite end of the room, also hiding behind the crates. While they might have had the advantage, they did not want to lose it with a reckless assault.

One of the enemies spotted Rattan as he surveyed the battlefield. The commander quickly ducked behind the metal container to avoid the bullets. He made it safely, but a bullet did graze his sleeve.

"Is this all that's left?" Rattan asked one of his officers.

"There is still some fighting up stairs, but I doubt they will last much longer. I think this is the majority of the enemy's attack."

"Well at least we knew what we are up against. I never would have guessed the Order would be able to overwhelm our defenses so fast."

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of rockets flying through the air. The rockets slammed into the crates, causing a massive explosion that sent metal soaring into the bodies of many of the remaining soldiers. He looked and saw the dead body of the one he was just talking to. Blood flowed down his own arms and legs due to the metal just shoved into them.

The sound of machine guns soon followed the attack. Rattan knew he had to turn this battle around. He brought forth a wall of darkness that stopped the bullets in their tracks. "He's the one we want. If we kill him it's over."

"I'll handle this," Rattan said to his wounded companions. Many of the Order's soldiers left the safety of the crates to charge at him. He brought forth a dark missed that inhibited the army as it blinded them. "Taste the darkness as it fills your lungs," he said with a smirk. Those who were trapped could not receive the oxygen they required as the darkness filled the air. A few of them were able to escape before they suffocated.

One of them charged at Rattan once he had regained his breath. He had dropped his gun in the surprise of the mist, but hoped he could physically release Rattan's control on the mist.

As the enemy charged at him, Rattan reached into his trench coat, pulled out a pistol, and fired a single bullet into the young man's heart. All his hoped of winning the battle died with him. The few others that climbed out of the mist alive, soon fell victim to darkness reaching out of the floor and grasping their throats, until they too became victims of the darkness.

Those that had not yet reached Rattan's floor saw the hopelessness of trying to best him, so retreated to fight another day. They saw the waste of confronting a foe, knowing they had no hope to win. They were willing to give their lives, if the situation called for it, but they wanted it to count for something.

Rattan saw his wounded companions. He used his darkness to mend their wounds along with his own. The battle had been costly, but he was able survive, along with delivering a terrible blow to the Order.

A few hours later, he and his remaining guards assembled to discuss their course of action.

"How many survived?" Rattan asked.

"Out of the 25 that were guarding this place, only 4," one answered.

"What is our total number of soldiers now?"

"Our division currently has 116 remaining. 22 of them are out of various tasks and can not be utilized at this time."

"The order has been a constant annoyance to us. They have grown strong enough to be a legitimate worry to us. Tomorrow night I will lead an all out assault on their base. We will use every man possible to ensure success. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," they all responded.

A/N: I bet you were expecting adventure at the falls, but I thought showing you other people involved in the story would work better. If you would be kind enough to review, I would appreciate it greatly!


	13. Chapter 13: Not a Normal Tourist Trap

Chapter 13: Not a Normal Tourist Trap

"Do you have any idea what you will find once we get there?" Regal asked the two teens.

"We don't know exactly but if I'm right, it will be something similar to the tomb of fire," Genis said.

"How do you think we will get in it though?" Lloyd asked.

"That could be a problem. Before the gate was already open, but that was, just by chance. We don't even know what to look for."

"Have you two been here before?"

"Yea, once, our families came here last summer," Genis said.

"How long does it take to get there?" Lloyd asked.

"Lloyd, we've barley been in the car 10 minuets. I swear, you must be the most impatient person on the planet."

Regal had taken the day of work to take the boys to Niagara Falls so they could find whatever it was they were looking for. He had wanted to help them, but also wanted to learn more about these strange events.

"Genis, I'm not that bad."

"Yes you are."

Their arguing was cut short by the sound of something colliding with the back of the car. Looking behind them, they could see someone holding out a gun and firing it at them. Several more shots collided with the back of the car. Regal tried to weave through the traffic of the crowded highway, and harnessed as much power as the car would give him to avoid the gunmen.

"Hold on guys, we are about the make a little detour," Regal said as he drove the car off the side of the road and down the hill. The wheels screeched as he barley avoided crashing into a parked car and several pedestrians.

"Wow, nice driving Regal," Lloyd said.

"Yea, but who were those people?" Genis asked

"Obviously those same agents."

"Maybe, but remember they had the chance to kill us before and didn't.," the younger boy said.

Regal continued taking them along the side streets and used his knowledge of the area to avoid the normal traffic jams caused by visitors. Even though it was early in the day, thousands of people had already come to see the wonder of nature. In the distance, the flowing water could already be seen. A gentle mist came up from the cascading water.

"This should be close enough," Regal said as he skillfully pulled into a parking spot. The three began to exit the car when they heard a loud bump coming from behind the back seat.

"I hope they didn't hear that," she said quietly.

"We heard that too," Regal said, "Stacy, why did you hide in the back of my car?"

"Well it was my day off, and I wanted to see the falls," she said nervously.

"You wanted to see what was going on with them too, didn't you?"

"Well, yea, I was with you when you found them so I deserve to see what weird things are going on."

"Okay, but be careful. Some dangerous things might be going on here," Regal warned.

The four made their way to the edge of the falls. Towering above them, the mighty display of nature stood. Crystal clear water flowed down against the bright blue sky. For a moment, they forgot what they came for, and only focused on the beauty of nature.

"I see something inside it," Lloyd said.

"What do you mean inside it?" Genis asked.

"There is something behind all the water. We have to get to it."

"How do we do that though?" the younger boy asked.

"Well we could try the thing we did last time we were here," Lloyd said as a smile grew across his face.

"Lloyd I don't think that will help us any."

"What happened?" Stacy asked.

"It is best not to pry into people's personal matters," Regal said.

"Oh, I don't mind telling the story," Lloyd said to Genis' annoyance. "Last summer when we were here on vacation, I convinced Genis to go swimming near the top of the falls with me. I dared him to swim over the falls but he decided logic was more fun, so I gave him a little push."

Regal and Stacy's eyes widened at Lloyd's lack of common sense. "Were you hurt Genis?" Stacy asked.

"About half way down my swim trunks got stuck on some kind of rock which stopped me."\

"So you were stuck up there?" Stacy asked again.

"He only was for a few seconds. Soon the trunks ripped and somehow he lost them on the way down," Lloyd explained.

"So what did you do?" she asked, fascinated by the strange adventures of them.

"Well I couldn't just leave him like that," Lloyd said, "So I climbed down a few flights of stairs that were along the side of the falls and jumped in after him."

"Only he landed on the leg of the park ranger trying to help me out."

"Explaining it to Canadian authorities wasn't as much fun as the actually jumping."

"Putting your unusual actions in the past aside," Regal said, "We still have no idea how to get to that object that Lloyd saw."

"Well if it is like the other one, there will be some kind of seal we can break that will open the path," Genis said, "But I have no idea where it is."

"Come on Genis, you are the smart one so you can think of it," Lloyd said.

"I just don't know," he said, holding up his hands. The red mark on his hand began to glow brighter. A transparent bridge formed that led from the ground they were on to inside the falls.

"Wow, that was convenient," Lloyd said.

"What was?" Regal asked.

"This bridge of course."

"I don't see anything either," Stacy said.

"This must be like the seal that only we can open," Genis explained, "Only we can see the bridge so only we can cross it."

"Makes about as much sense as anything else that has happened. Let's go," Lloyd said as he began walking across the transparent path. He was nervous but had faith that this would hold them. They carefully proceeded and amazed everyone around them, by seemingly, walking on air.

_

"That must be them."

"Okay, ready everyone?"

"Right!" they replied in unison.

"We only have one shot so make it count." They loaded their weapons, hoping to avoid detection for as long as it took them to carry out their mission.

_

So this is where they were heading. They may have beaten me to it this time, but it just makes it easier for me to capture them. I won't make the same mistakes I did last time. They will pay for making a fool of me.

_

"So how do we get through this?" Lloyd said as they reached the falling water.

I don't know maybe we just--"

Genis was caught of by the sound of gunfire in the distance followed by a gust of wind that nearly blew them off the bridge.

"I hope this works," Lloyd said as he ran through the water with Genis reluctantly following. Luckily, they made it through with only drenched hair and clothes.

They looked around the cavern they were in, and saw that it was illuminated by rainbows along the wall formed by the sun filtering through the waterfall. At the other end of the room, a golden fountain stood, gently shouting water into the air. They walked across the room and grabbed onto the object, waiting for the same feeling as last time.

"Bohbi," Genis said backing away from the fountain. The water from it came out and encircled his hand. The shock form this caused him to release the water from his concentration, and it splashed to the ground.

"Man, I don't even get a cool power," Lloyd said.

"Well last time it took you a while to discover yours. Maybe it's the same thing this time," Genis said.

"Congratulations on finding the second seal," a familiar voice said as she entered through the cascading falls.

"Selena, what are you doing here?" Lloyd asked as he summoned his sword.

"That should be quite obvious by now." She brought forth her sword as well and pointed it at them, "So will you come willingly of do I have to use force?"

"We beat you last time, and we have only grown stronger," Lloyd said.

"Yea, we aren't afraid of you."

"I guess I will have to change that. I don't mind since I hoped I would be able to get you back for last time."

Selena ran at Lloyd with incredible speed, but he countered with his demonic slash. She leapt into the air, dodging it and landed right beside Lloyd. He swung his blade at her but she blocked it with her own. "You're right, you are stronger this time." She summoned a stream of wind from her palm and shoved it into Lloyd's chest sending him into the wall.

Genis sent several blasts of fire in her direction, but they were all dissipated by a shield of wind she summoned around her. She retaliated by sending powerful gusts of wind at him, but he was able to dodge those in time. He saw his fire wouldn't be enough to beat her, but he still had another power open to him.

He held up his other hand and concentrated on the falling water behind her. He diverted a portion of the mighty falls and sent it colliding into Selena's back. It pounded her into the ground. "Nice one, Genis."

They began going toward the exit, when she rose from the ground. "Wind thrust!" she yelled as she fortified her demonic thrust with her control of wind. The attack pierced Lloyd's stomach and he collapsed to the ground. He held his hand over the wound and saw blood begin to pour out over it. "Now," Selena said pointing her blade at Genis, "Come with me, or he dies."

"No," Genis said defiantly, "You will pay for attacking Lloyd like that."

"I can save him, if you want me to."

Genis' anger and determination enhanced his powers. He didn't know if it would be enough, but there was way he would cower to someone who would hurt Lloyd like that. "I can save him once I kill you!"

Once again, Genis harnessed the power of the falls and sent a mighty wave at her. She used her wind shield to block the attack, but the young boy ran through the layer of water on the ground with a fire growing in his hand He shoved his first through the shield while maintaining his flame. Once it pierced her defense, he sent it forward with as much intensity as he could. The attack sent her back and covered her body in scorch marks.

"That's quite enough of your resistance," she said as she sent a powerful wall of wind at him. The attack slashed him several times and blew him back at great speeds. He was sent into the pounding falls, only holding on to the ledge by one hand. Genis harnessed his control of the water to push him through the force of the falls and back to the cavern. The soaked boy saw blood start to flow down his body from her attack. He felt the strain on his body from the intensity of his own attacks.

Lloyd rose to his feet and saw the pain his friend was in. "Genis, do you have enough strength left to control water for my plan?"

"I think so, but what is your plan?"

"What ever plans you have, it won't be enough to defeat me."

A smile crept across Lloyd's face. "One thing I learned from Genis is that I have to see every possibility," he turned to his friend, "Don't let us die." He picked Genis up, threw his blade at Selena, ran past her in the distraction, and jumped into the waterfall.

Genis used his remaining strength to slow their descent and once they reached the bottom, guided them to the shore.

"Lloyd, why don't you ever tell me your plans before you do them?"

"Because you would never go along with them if I did."

Lloyd and Genis saw that no one was around where they exited the water. Hoping to find Regal while attracting as little attention as possible, they slowly made their way back to the observation area. The pain from the battle slowed Genis' speed.

"You okay Genis?"

"Yea, just Selena's attack hurt me more than I realized."

"Let me see," Lloyd said as they stopped to examine the wounds. The older one moved his hand over the bleeding areas, and they suddenly healed and the pain was gone.

"How did you do that?"

"I don't know, it must have something to do with that seal. Anyway, let's go find Regal and Stacy."

_

Raine sat down to watch the night's news, hoping it would take her mind off not hearing from Genis since he left.

"Tonight's top story is strange events occurring at Niagara Falls. We had two bizarre incidents there today. The first was two teens walking through the air toward the water. We have no idea how this occurred, but several people caught the incident on video. A nine year old witness had this to say, 'It was so cool how they walked through the air.'"

Raine saw the video of Lloyd and Genis seemingly walking on air, and was surprised. How had they done that and what were they doing there?

"After the two entered the falls, there were no signs of them reappearing elsewhere. The second incident occurred when gunshots were heard during the time the two were walking through the air. Upon examination of the sound, four dead bodies were found. They had a number of injuries but instead of bullet wounds, it appeared that they were killed with much more primitive weapons. We are unsure if the two events are connected.

"FBI agent West was on assignment in the area, and she had this to say, 'We will launch a detailed investigation of this event. We believe it is foul play, but we want to assure travelers that Niagara is a peaceful place to travel.'"

_

A/N: A lot happened in that chapter, so I wonder how much you will be able to figure out. Lloyd and Genis have new powers. People continue to be after them. Four people were found dead, along with the events last chapter. It's all connected somehow, I promise you.

On a lighter note, the day I started writing this chapter I found out that my Dad was talking my bro and sis to Niagara Falls. I did not plan to time it this way at all, so when this is published they should be there.

Also, to a certain reader, see I can write long chapters when I choose to, and this chapter was in bold, but I caught it this time.


	14. Chapter 14: Darkness and Light part 2

Chapter 14: Darkness and Light part two

"Sir, I must report failure again."

"What happened this time?"

"I nearly defeated them this time, but they were able to escape. They are getting stronger."

"As I expected."

"That's not all. While there, 'they' showed up. I was surprised that they would attack like that; they have grown increasingly bold."

"Yea, they tried taking my life yesterday. However, they underestimated my power. What happened with you?"

"They hoped a quick sniper attack would be enough. Obviously, they did not expect me to interfere, and I put a quick end to them."

"Good, the boys slipping away can be corrected, but if 'they' succeed then it will be many years until we have another chance. Continue your pursuit, and I will make sure 'they' don't interfere again.

_

Rattan hung up the phone and surveyed his small army. They numbered less than 100, but he knew that his opponents would be caught off guard and probably had even fewer troops. His own power would aid them in crushing the resistance.

"Men, are you ready?" he said.

"Yes sir," they responded.

"Tonight we will destroy our opponents who have been nuisances for far too long. We saw the cost of underestimating them yesterday. This time, we hold nothing back. Under the cover of night, we shall sneak into their underground base and eliminate them. Leave not a man, woman, or child alive. We can not allow our softheartedness to interfere."

_

The sun had recently set, leaving behind the clouds of a late summer's storm. They were gathered around maps and plans to figure out their next course of action. The order lost nearly half of their men during the recent battle, and all of their plans quickly fell apart.

A powerful storm clashed into the building. The power of the rain and wind would have battered their shelter had it not been buried underground. And as the thunder roared, barley a whisper could be heard through the rain.

_

The storm pounded Rattan and his men with a steady downpour, but they would not allow a simple storm to deter them. "Temhota," Rattan said and a blade appeared in his hand. He motioned for his men to charge forward with him.

The guards at the door saw the movement in the distance, readied their guns, and aimed them at the figures in the distance.

"What do you think that was?" one of the two watches said.

"Probably nothing," the other said right before the night went from being dark to pitch black. Rattan plunged his sword into their bodies under the cover of the darkness and kicked down the door that led to his targets.

Bullets pieced the silent air of the top floor, with the intension of killing anyone before they had a chance to fight back. The leader stopped the assault for a second to gaze around the room looking for any victims. One of his soldiers pulled out a flashlight, but none of the Order's men were seen. "They must all be further down, keep going!"

_

"Nova, our security has been breached."

"I see," Nova responded, "Men, they have broken though our defenses, and hope to finish us off here and now. They may very well succeed, but I will give every last breath I can for our cause. Come, let us go and fight, and not let the fear strike us down." Commander Nova and his small army gathered their weapons for what they feared would be their final battle. They knew that they had no chance of getting out of this alive unless they defeated Rattan and his men. It would not be easy, and possibly impossible, but that would not stop them from putting up a fight.

_

Rattan continued leading his men further in the base until it turned into an underground cavern. Their guns were loaded and fired at the smallest movement. As they rounded a corner into another dark room, Rattan used his control of the darkness to sense the opponents waiting for them.

"You have no where to hide," the leader said rounding the corner. Seeing that their cover was blown, Nova turned the lights on reveling them to be in what appeared to be a large warehouse room.

"Don't fire unless they shoot first," the leader of the Order instructed emerging for his cover, "I will give you once chance to leave," he said to the enemy commander.

Rattan held out his arm signaling for them to hold their fire. "You are outnumbered, outgunned, and have nothing to compare with my power."

"Then why don't you attack?"

"I wanted to see the fear in your eyes before I kill you."

"There is not an ounce of fear in my body." Nova said truthfully. Rattan pulled out his pistol, aimed, and fired a bullet straight into Nova's chest.

"Only the fool stands against me like that," Rattan said as the bleeding man collapsed to the floor as his blood began covering the floor. "Now, finish them off!" The agents began charging and firing at the Order, who countered with an array of gunfire of their own.

"Stop!" a mysterious figure said, and all the guns fell to the ground.

"Who are you?" Rattan ordered.

"You will not win this battle," the figure said in a soft yet authoritative tone. He appeared to be nothing more then an average person, with a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans, but he brought a peace with him that rattled Rattan.

"Yea, tell my gun that," he said picking his weapon of the floor and firing it at the stranger. However, the bullet missed the man and harmlessly bounced against the wall. Rattan continued firing in anger, but none of his shots wounded the man.

"Your opposition is meaningless."

"I'm not done yet. Let the darkness devourer you!" Rattan sent his darkness out from his palm right at the stranger, but as the attack approached him, he raised his hand and it faded.

"Men of the Order," the stranger said, "Take aim and fire two rounds into the opponents. Allow the rest of them to escape." They did as instructed and shot into the crowd. Every bullet hit its target, killing them nearly instantly. Rattan's men could not bring themselves to pick up their guns and fight back, as many of them were killed.

"Flee," the stranger said as the remnants of the army scattered. Rattan looked at the man's eyes and knew he had no hope of winning here. He reluctantly followed his men out of the cavern.

The stranger touched Nova's wound, instantly healing it, and helped him back to his feet. When the commander turned to address his army, the stranger vanished.

* * *

A/N: Confused yet? This will be the last chapter that just focuses on Rattan and the Order, but don't worry they will both be back later. How are they connected to Lloyd and Genis though? I'd love to hear your ideas for this, and yes I do know the answers, but I might have overlooked something important. Thanks for reading and please review.


	15. Chapter 15: Voices of the Past

A/N: In this chapter, I bring everything together so it will all make sense, but not really. Also thanks to the awesome VariableEstella on fiction press drew a picture of Selena for me at http:// variable-estrella. /art/Selena-129458335 (take out the spaces)

Chapter 15: Voices of the Past

''_Those fallen against the rising sun  
__For freedom, they faced the gun __  
The great island thanks the heroes here  
The hall of memory beckons thee near'_

"What do you think it means?" Lloyd asked

"I'm not sure," Genis said.

After the incident at the falls, the boys had returned to Regal's hotel to decide where they would go from there. Genis pulled out the same paper that gave them the riddle that led to them to the falls earlier. This time, when he placed his hand on it, the new inscription appeared, and this time, with a brown circle to the left of it.

"I'm guessing it's telling us where to go next," Lloyd said.

"Rising sun, I'm guessing refers to the east, which might be Japan," Genis pondered.

"So we're going to Japan?"

"Japan! I want to go!" Stacy said barging into their room.

"It's not in Japan," Genis said to Stacy's disappointment.

"Aw, I guess I better stop ease dropping and get back to work," she said leaving the room.

"So where is it then?" Lloyd asked.

"It looks like it's somewhere that tried fighting against Japan. I'm guessing it's some kind of war monument."

"Maybe the world war two one in DC?"

"I don't think that's it, after all, it talks about a great island."

"So, what do you think it is?"

"I'm not sure. The hall of memory might mean something, but I'd have to do some searching online."

"Let's see if Regal will let us use his computer."

Lloyd and Genis left their hotel room and took the elevator down to the main lobby, where Regal was handling a customer complaint about an exploding coffee maker

"Miss Martin, I assure you that none of our appliances have any defaults in them and that they will not malfunction if used properly."

"What are you implying sir?"

"Well, this is not the first time I have had complaints from your room. First, your sons claimed that the microwave just started shooting fire and then the bathtub became backed up and flooded the entire room."

"So you are saying that my children did this? Now that I think about it, I wouldn't put it past them," she said returning to her room to try to remove the coffee stains from the ceiling.

"How are you two doing today?" Regal said, greeting his two friends.

"Fine, thanks for letting us stay here a few extra days," Lloyd said.

"It's not a problem. After everything you have been through, I thought you deserved some time to rest."

"Well, we think we know where the next seal is. I just need to check something on the computer."

"Go ahead and use the one back in my office. I'll be glad to do what I can for you to get there safely."

"Thank you very much," Lloyd said.

Genis entered 'hall of memory' in Google and came up with exactly 14000 results. "I'm thinking it refers to the war monument in either Australia or England," Genis said, clicking on several of the links.

"Well, that narrows it done some, but I don't want to be in the opposite side of the world then what we need."

"I'm thinking it's Australia though."

"Why?"

"Well it says great island, and even you know Australia is larger than England. If I'm right the clue talks about Japan and the Austrian memorial was finished during the war against them."

"So how do we get there?" Lloyd asked.

"I'd say a plane would be the only sensible option."

"I can arrange that for you," Regal said walking into the room, "While I would like to accompany you, I can't leave this hotel, and Stacy starts back to school next week."

"Yea, we should've gone back to school last week," Lloyd said.

"I wonder if Raine and Dirk are alright." Genis asked.

"You should give them a call," Regal suggested.

"Yea, but by them not knowing, they should be safe from harm If we call, those agents might be able to track us. They probably think we already left, but I would hate for anything to happen to this hotel because of us."

"Don't worry; I can get you a couple prepaid cell phones so they won't know who or where you are."

_

*ring ring*

"Hm, I don't recognize this number," Raine said looking at the caller id on the phone. "Hello?"

"Raine"

"Genis! It's you!"

"Yea, sorry I couldn't call until now."

"What's going on? It's already been almost 2 weeks."

"Well, Lloyd and I are still traveling. I still can't tell you much about it though."

"What were you two doing at Niagara Falls?"

"How did you know we were there?"

"I saw the news of you two somehow walking on air. Care to explain?"

"Um, well…"

"It's something you can't tell me isn't it."

"Yea, kinda."

"I understand."

"Wait, you do?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Well normally you are really protective and I'm sure your curiosity would want to find out what was going on."

"Honestly, both those are killing me, but I can't do anything about it."

"Well we can't come back for a while. I don't know how long."

"I was afraid you'd say that. Just be careful out there."

"I will. I love you."

"Love you too Genis."

_

*ring ring*

"'ello"

"Hey Dad, it's me."

"Ah, Lloyd, it's good to hear ya lad."

"I'm glad I was finally able to call you, but it will be a while till I can come back.

"I was afraid you'd say that. You nearly gave your old man a heart attack when I saw that letter."

"I'm sorry."

"It can't be helped I suppose. I'm sure you have a good reason for doing all this."

"Yea, but I can't really talk about it."

"I see. Do me a favor though and don't do anything else illegal."

"Wait, what?"

"The day I got back some police came asking about you. Asked if I knew where you were."

"Don't worry Genis and I haven't broken any laws. It's a long story but I'll tell you when I can."

"Take care out there Lloyd. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you would get yourself involved in something big."

"Don't worry Dad, I'll be fine. Sorry, but I got to go."

"Talk to you soon then."

"Yea."

_

Raine was relieved to at least hear from her brother. She was still worried as any big sister would be, but she knew it was out of her hands. All she could do was trust Genis' judgment. For someone like her, it was hard, but knowing there was nothing she could do helped. She was jolted out of her thoughts by a knocking at the door.

She opened it to reveal a person that appeared to be an older version of her.

"Raine, it's so good to see you," she said.

"Oh, it's you," Raine responded with disgust in her voice.

"I'm sorry about all that's happened, but when I saw Genis on the news I had to know what was going on."

"You're sorry? How can you even say something like that you cold hearted witch?"

"Raine, I'm his mother."

"What mother leaves her son when he is only a year old? It doesn't matter that you gave birth to him. When you left, you gave up any rights of being called our family. You didn't do a thing when Dad died eight years ago. Do you know how hard I had to fight to stay with Genis!?" She was screaming by this point, "It's hard working two jobs, going to school and rising a child for anyone, especially for an 18 year old women, but I didn't take the easy way out for one reason. I love Genis and would do anything for him, and apparently that's one concept you were never able to understand. Now get out of my sight you spineless jellyfish and never come back!" Raine slammed to door on here and went back to her chair

_

A/N: And that's why you don't make Raine mad. Yes, I know this isn't exactly what happened in the game, but this is my story so what I say goes! Don't worry I have a well thought out plan for what happened with both Lloyd's and Genis' family. Thanks for reading, please review, and other random comments.


	16. Chapter 16: Land of Confusion

A/N: This chapter is a song fic that builds up to the next part of the story. Song is land of confusion originally written by Genesis, but listen to the disturbed version for the full effect of the song. Part of the scenes here are from the current time, and others are flash backs to before the story started. I switch perspectives a lot through this, so if there is something you don't understand please ask and I will try to help.

_I must have dreamed a thousand dreams  
Been haunted by a million screams  
But I can hear the marching feet  
They're moving into the street_

Genis awoke from another nightmare with his body shaking. The images of people screaming in terror continued to fill his mind. He could see the army gather, ready for the battle. While he didn't know what they were, they filled him with dread.

_Now, did you read the news today?  
They say the danger has gone away  
But I can see the fire's still alight  
They're burning into the night_

The silver haired boy looked across the hotel room to his friend who was still fast asleep. Had he been experiencing the same nightmares? Their life seemed somewhat peaceful the past few days, but gazing down at the glowing mark on his hand, he knew things were far from normal.

_There's too many men,  
too many people  
Making too many problems  
And there's not much love to go around  
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?_

Nova gathered his followers around him and began to address them. "During the last battle we saw the determination that the enemy possesses. More importantly though, we saw the strength that protected us. Under normal circumstances, we should've been wiped out, but instead we got through the battle without a single death. Our spies have found Rattan's followers heading to Australia, so that means we will follow our targets there. They won't escape this time."

"You have failed me twice already. I would personally lead our forces, but sadly I have to meat with my superiors to discuss so many of our men dieing. Hopefully it won't take long for me to get away from those fools and come back to the matter at hand. Don't fail me again Selena."

_This is the world we live in  
And these are the hands we're given  
Use them and let's start trying  
To make it a place worth living in_

Lloyd and Genis grabbed their suitcases and they exited Regal's car. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you."

"What are you talking about Regal?"

"Yea, you did so much more than we could have asked."

"Be careful out there."

"Don't worry, with me around what is the worst that could happen," Lloyd said.

"I'll make sure the worst won't happen," Genis said sarcastically as he and Lloyd entered the airport.

_Oh, superman, where are you now?  
When everything's gone wrong somehow?  
The men of steel, these men of power  
Are losing control by the hour_

"You worried Genis?"

"Yea, a little bit. I had another nightmare last night."

"What happened in this one?"

"I saw an army of creatures. I don't know how to describe them, but they weren't human."

Lloyd and Genis found their seats and prepared for the long flight across the ocean on that Friday morning.

_This is the time, this is the place  
So we look for the future  
But there's not much love to go around  
Tell me why this is a land of confusion_

It was early Tuesday morning as the silver haired man sat in his seat and prepared for the flight that would take him back home. He felt the plane begin to rise into the air, pushing him against the crammed seats. While he trusted his daughter to take care of things, he still missed his family, and would be glad to be with them soon.

He was brought out of his thoughts by several men screaming toward the front of the plane. Looking forward, he saw a gun in the one's hand. For a moment, he thought it might just be a security guard, but it wasn't long before he realized the truth.

_This is the world we live in  
And these are the hands we're given  
Use them and let's start trying  
To make it a place worth living in_

"Oh, Genis," Lloyd said as they flew through the sky.

"What is it?"

"Happy birthday!"

A half smile crept across Genis' face. "Thanks Lloyd, but you know I don't like celebrating my birthday."

"Well, you only turn 14 once. I wanted to get you a present, but how busy we've been, I couldn't."

"Even without a gift, if I had to choose any of my friends to spend my birthday with flying across an ocean, it would be you."

_I remember long ago  
When the sun was shining  
And all the stars were bright all through the night  
In the wake of this madness, as I held you tight  
So long ago_

"Sorry for bringing back those memories," Lloyd said.

"Yea, I can't believe it's been eight years. Dad wanted to make it back in time for my birthday party and I was so excited to see him again."

"I remember you saying it was going to be your best birthday ever."

"Until Raine got that phone call. Through the tears, she was barley able to tell me what happened to him. At first I couldn't believe it."

"Yea, when I came to see you, you were angry and tried punching me."

"I'd say giving you a bloody nose was more the just trying. You didn't care what I did to you though, you stayed there and held me as I cried."

"You were my best friend, I couldn't leave you."

"And some thing never change."

_I won't be coming home tonight  
My generation will put it right  
We're not just making promises  
That we know we'll never keep_

Panic erupted all throughout the plane, but the gunman kept everyone in their seats by the threat of force. The plane was no under control of these people and fear filled everyone knowing this might be their last day. The silver haired man tried to calm the people and work with him to retake the plane. Many of them refused knowing that they would probably die if they tried fighting back. One stranger dressed in a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans aided the man though. "Listen, if we do nothing here, we are going to die. It won't just be us but many others, but we can make our lives count for something." The strangers soft but authoritative voice convinced them and they prepared to fight back.

"I'm sorry, Genis, I won't be there for your birthday," he said to himself.

_There's too many men, too many people  
Making too many problems  
And there's not much love to go round  
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?_

Lloyd, Genis, Nova, and Selena were all soaring above the Pacific ocean. Each one a different target, a different plan. They knew that everything they cared about could be won or lost in a single moment. Fear and courage, doubt and determination along with hope and desire filled them. A different motivation filled the three planes heading for the great island, but they wouldn't go down without a fight.

_Now, this is the world we live in  
And these are the hands we're given  
Use them and let's start trying  
To make it a place worth fighting for_

The battle was fierce as the sound of gunshots could be heard throughout the plane. Blood began to cover the seats and the floor, but the citizens kept coming, knowing that by giving their last moments, countless others would continue to live. In this situation, being a hero was only a natural response. Kloitz Sage grasped his hands on the controls as the plane continued to fall in the chaos. He pointed the nose down into the nearby field.

_This is the world we live in  
And these are the names we're given  
Stand up and let's start showing  
Just where our lives are going to_

____

A/N: Well, now you know what happened to Genis and Raine's father. They really have had a hard life. I'm sure I didn't capture the events on that day perfectly, but this is meant to be a tribute to those who gave their lives that day, and I'm sorry if I offended anyone by it.


	17. Chapter 17: Land Down Under

**A/N: This update is part of my celebration for being on the site for 5 years! That's right; on April 30 5 years ago I made this account, so today I have decided to update all of my stories that are in progress. This does not mean that more updates will be coming soon if ever though.**

**Here is Summer's Last Adventure. Looking back through it as I tried to remember what was going on, I remembered how much I liked this story. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but the writing, the plot, it all seemed to be a step up from anything I had written before. Even now, I'd say this was a good story. And after writing this chapter, I really want to get back to this one. It's just a fun story, combining the Symphonia characters I love writing for with a world and adventure that keeps getting more exciting. It will be a while maybe, but I'd like to finish writing this story. I'd thought about going back and rewriting everything a couple times, but I think I'll just pick up here, try to not make some of the same mistakes again, and just let this story be all I dreamed it could be when I first started it. Enjoy…**

**Thanks to Wyntirsno for betaing**

**Chapter 17: Land Down Under**

As they stepped out of the Australian airport, their journey taking them to the other side of the world now, they were greeted by something that confused Lloyd greatly. Even among the bright blue sky that illuminated the world around them, and the beautiful green that dotted the land around them between the trees and the grass and other native plants.

"Um, Genis, why is it cold here?"

"Lloyd, we are on the other side of the world, so the seasons are switched," Genis explained, trying to be as calm and reasonable as possible. He just knew that this was going to end up with him having a headache trying to answer Lloyd's illogical questions.

"Wait, does that mean it's almost Christmas?"

"No, the seasons changed, not the dates." Genis began making his way out of the airport mentally going over their plan. He had a feeling something bad was going to happen, if his dreams were any indication and their recent battles. With any luck, they could find the seal, release it, and then get out of here before anyone found them.

Then again, luck hadn't really been on their side since Lloyd's bright idea those few weeks ago.

"Oh okay," Lloyd said, now thinking about why they weren't falling off the edge of the world even though they were on the other side of it. He then remembered something about gravity and mass, and thought that sleeping in physics might have been a bad idea. But after jumping in the air a couple times, he figured he wasn't flying off into space any time soon, so he'd let that mystery of the natural world slide for now. "So where are we going?"

"The Hall of Memory, the World War 2 monument."

"So how do we get there?"

Genis pulled a few papers out from his suitcase, the result of him trying to mark down all the various clues they had gathered along the way among the research he had been doing at the hotel with Regal's help. Finally, he came across the map. "Okay, we need to drive about 3 hours on the M5 tollway, then turn off onto the Federal Highway."

"Um, if you say so," Lloyd said scratching the back of his head. He really wasn't very good with directions, sometimes getting lost just going home from school or getting turned around in the woods and somehow ending up in the other side of the city before he realized where he was.

"Just keep an eye on the road and I'll guide you."

"Sounds good to me… but where do we get the car from? Please tell me we don't have to walk that far."

The two of them had nearly reached the edge of the airports parking lot before they reliezed that they hadn't thought about getting a car. The two looked at each other for a moment, before Lloyd started to worry.

"I really don't want to walk that far," Lloyd groaned. It was one thing to sit in a plane for 20 hours but this? He felt like he was ready to collapse on the ground and take a nap.

"I guess we should just go get a rental car and take that," Genis suggested.

Lloyd agreed and the two of them walked back into the airport, though it was difficult making their way through the massive airport in Sydney. There were so many different buildings and turns and roads that it took them nearly an hour to finally find the right building. And considering they had been lugging their suitcases around for so long, they were tired.

"Finally!" Lloyd yelled, taking a seat at the back of the room. Genis sat beside him, not caring in the least that the line was an hour long. They were out of the cold and windy Australian weather, they were able to rest their arms and legs, and most importantly, Lloyd was able to fall asleep after about 11 seconds.

Genis sighed, thinking about waking Lloyd up, but decided they deserved some rest. Neither of them got much of it on the plane, between the fact that they were too worried about Selena and the other agents and if they'd come after them. Not to mention Genis thinking about his birthday those many years ago, and even now, just thinking about it brought a few tears to his face. He quickly brushed those aside, knowing that now was not the time for weakness or regret. Yes, horrible things had happened.

They could happen again.

Thinking about his dream back in Canada, the ones that seemed to show him the future, he knew why he was doing this, and knew that they both had to get stronger. There were dangers coming he couldn't know about, but only saw the destruction they could cause.

Genis watched the second hand tick from the clock sitting at the other side of the room, and thought about joining Lloyd in a nap, but even through his tiredness, he found himself full of energy. Like he had just spent the whole night playing video games with Lloyd but had consumed multiple energy drinks in the past hour. It truly was a strange feeling an indescribable mixture of exhaustion and alertness, although it was something he'd learned not to do before anything important the next day.

The crowds began clearing, and Genis nudged Lloyd waking him up, and with a silent hand gesture, Lloyd remembered what they were doing here. With a yawn, Lloyd got back to his feet, though Genis wondered if they'd really be able to get a car here. He knew the laws in America made it so they could only rent cars to people over 24 (a silly law according to him) so he wondered if the laws in Australia were different.

Finally, Lloyd made it up to the front of the line. Though instead of the difficulty Genis had feared, all Lloyd had to do was give them his name, and the clerk immediately handed him the key. "Ah, we were wondering when Mr. Bryant's assistants would be by to pick up his car."

"Ah, thank you," Lloyd said giving Genis a smile, thinking about how awesome Regal was and how lucky they were to run into him.

"Though it seems strange, normally he comes to pick up the car himself. Is there something going on with him?"

"Um, you see he's meeting some important officials about the tourism industry here right now, and wanted to make sure he got the car before you closed," Lloyd said, trying to sound as genuine as possible, but either his lie was convincing or the clerk just didn't care enough to question him further.

With no more difficulty than signing a couple pieces of paper, Lloyd and Genis left the building. "Wow, that Regal guy is awesome," Lloyd said, finding their car, a yellow Ford Taurus near the front of the parking lot. Lloyd got in the driver's seat with Genis in the passenger, and as Lloyd figured out where all the important buttons were, Genis got out their directions once more.

"Okay, pull out onto the highway," Genis said, worried for a second that Lloyd might be too tired to drive again, though he seemed fully awake this time, and with it being daylight, he figured they'd be okay.

However, as Lloyd drove along the right side of the airport road, he noticed a car was driving at him head on honking the horn loudly.

Starting to panic, Lloyd yanked the wheel to the side pulling the car to the left luckily missing the car. "What the heck is up with that guy?"

"They drive on the left side of the road here," Genis explained, glad Lloyd had discovered that before they ended up getting out on the busy freeway.

"Wait, the seasons are switched, I'm not falling off the edge of the earth and we're driving on the wrong side of the road. This place is awesome!" Lloyd said, though it wasn't quite the reaction Genis was expecting.

"Um, that's great Lloyd, just drive safely on the left side of the road and head out onto the highway."

Enjoying the topsi-turveyness of this country, Lloyd did as he was told, his mind constantly telling him that he was driving on the wrong side of the road still, but he kept his hands in check anytime they'd go to pull the car back to the right.

Once they reached the highway, the traffic became much heavier, causing Lloyd to have to pay more attention avoid the cars and get used to the strange street signs. "That's weird," Lloyd said once they had started leaving the city.

"What?"

"We haven't seen any kangaroos yet, I thought they were everyone in Australia."

"I think that's a bit of an exaggerated stereotype," Genis said, looking back at the city behind them, seeing the skyscrapers pile into the horizon, along with many trees dotting the sky. With the sun setting over them the city seemed to glow with life, and he smiled at how beautiful Sydney really was.

"So, you said we keep going for about three hours."

"Yeah, I'll keep an eye on the signs so we'll know when to get off."

"Thanks."

With that Lloyd let himself be taken into driving mode, where his mind went on autopilot, his hands adjusting the wheel to the small turns that accompanied all the roads while his foot subconsciously maintained the speed of the car. At times like this, Lloyd found his mind tended to wonder, and with everything that they'd been through, he certainly had a lot to think about. His and Genis' powers, the adventure a silly little idea got them on. He certainly felt that this was more exciting than going back to school. He had always dreamed about having powers like those of the heroes in the video games he played. Those heroes filled his dreams, of their conquest, and even of their sacrifices. The life of a hero was never easy, they had to push themselves, embrace pain, and even death.

Lloyd gulped, wondering where this adventure would lead them. Would things ever return to normal, or would they even lead to death? He gazed for a second at Genis, and thought about what he was fighting for. Why were these people so set to stop him anyway? These seals seemed to be made to be found, and with each one they found they seemed to be getting closer to some secret.

"You think she'll follow us?" Lloyd asked.

"Selena?"

"Yeah."

"If she knows where we're going, probably," Genis said. Even going across the world he knew that they wouldn't be safe from her. She knew to find them at Niagara Falls too easily, so it wouldn't surprise him any if she were waiting for them here. He had to come up with some plan, some way to stop her.

"But if we keep getting stronger, she can't beat us. Right?"

"I wouldn't count on that. I don't think she's dumb enough to not have something planned." Genis tried to think of what that could be though. More troops, more power, some kind of trap. It could be anything.

How could they counter something when they didn't even know what it was?

…

"You were right Nova. They're getting closer."

"Are the charges set?"

"Yes sir."

"And the other drivers?"

"Rerouted as you ordered, they are the only car for a mile in both directions."

"Good. Let us say a final prayer for these souls. Remember, what we're fight for."

…

"That's odd," Genis said, noticing that the traffic behind them had mysteriously thinned out, so much so that he couldn't even see headlights in the distance.

"What?" Lloyd said leaning back driving with his knees, starting to get used to this car.

"Other than your driving habits," Genis said with a roll of his eyes, "We're alone out here."

"You afraid?"

"Maybe." Being alone on an evening like this in a strange country was a bit unsettling for him. Even if he knew where they were going, he liked having the other cars to give him an idea where to head to, and indication that others were with him. But now, they were alone. "Keep an eye out for anything strange." Genis then felt a chill go up his spine, like something was watching him, something unfriendly. His eyes locked alongside the road, trying to find whoever it was that was there. They weren't completely alone, even if his eyes couldn't see anyone. Whoever, or whatever it was obviously wanted to conceal their presence.

However, before Genis could figure it out, the road before them erupted out from under them, tossing the car into the air, rocks and concrete pounding into the metal, glass was shattered, though the occupants were lucky enough to avoid any injury from the shattered glass.

"The heck?" Lloyd screamed as the collided back to the ground, the car spinning as the world around them turned. The tress alongside the road tunred into blures as the car fell off the side of the road, dirt and grass flung up from the wheels. Lloyd tried to hang onto the car as much as he could and slammed on the breaks. The car came to rest eventually, Llloyd and Genis looking at each other.

"You okay?" Lloyd asked.

"I think so."

More explosions followed alongside the road battering the car more, and Genis saw them closing in from the woods surrounding the road. Men armed with guns.

Genis swallowed as the car came to a stop, the hood of the car torn to pieces and they could only guess the engine too.

Lloyd saw this too, and held onto the wheel even as the car stayed in place, feeling like it gave him some sense of control. "Any ideas?" he asked, seeing the enemies quickly approaching through the mirrors.

Before Genis could respond, gun shots rang out, causing both Lloyd and Genis to drop to the floor of the car while their vehicle was pelted, whatever glass that was left shattered, and even the metal of the car began tearing, one bullet shooting out the upholstery of the back seat but out through the front window without harming them.

"They're really trying to kill us," Lloyd said, his voice becoming uneven, his body shaking.

Genis looked up at his friend, with a gaze that said he wasn't ready to die yet. Could they really fight guns with their powers?

Did they have much of a choice?

Or were they just destined to die here?


	18. Chapter 18: Fury

**A/N: **Another update so soon? Yep, I told you I was going to keep writing for this. And I was really encouraged by Nekomata's review. The fact that you'd remember my story after so long really means a lot. I've read a couple stories like that; they were great, but got abandoned, despite being some of my favorite. The fact that you said that means that my story is like that to someone, which I think is awesome. So because of that, I had to keep going with this, finish this story. It may take a while, I may take breaks, but I want to see this story finished.

In the three years since I wrote much of this, my writing style has changed quite a bit, one of these ways is the way I write battles. They've become more violent, more graphic. I try not to write graphic violence just because I can, but to make the story stronger, and in some cases, show something more with it. This may bother some people, but I hope you'll keep reading and enjoy this change.

Thanks to Wyntirsno for betaing.

Enjoy…

**Chapter 18: Fury**

Out of the window they heard the sounds of gunfire and knew that the already in shambles car couldn't take much more of this. Bullets pounded the exterior, the glass shattered, and the pieces of the metal frame were falling apart around them. Lloyd and Genis stayed close together, wanting to protect each other, just waiting for this to end.

Though the only end they saw to this was when the bullets would finally find their targets.

Lloyd looked to his friend, the desperation starting to seep in as another dozen rounds pelted the car's frame and the rattling noise of yet another piece of metal hitting the concrete filled the air. He closed his eyes, fear pounding at him. He thought about trying to fight, but could they really win?

Genis shook from the terror. He couldn't die like this. Things couldn't end so soon. They had seen so much, they had so much left to see and do. But what could a couple kids do against such ferocity? Even with whatever powers they had, it was nothing in the light of a dozen guns.

"Genis, you have to think of something!" Lloyd yelled. Force wasn't an option here; that would be suicide. But what else was there? They couldn't hide in the car forever; that would be suicide too.

Genis tried racking his brain for answers, every possibility running through his head, every power they had he tried contemplating, but against the pounding sound of bullets tearing through metal, his brain couldn't find an answer. They'd need to escape, use some kind of distraction, but whoever these assassins were, they knew to keep shooting, to not take chances. And do to the fact that they were surrounded; there was nowhere they could sneak away to.

However, Genis' thoughts of escape were destroyed as pain erupted in his shoulder, like a fire was lit within him, its scorching heat eating at his flesh. He screamed, his hand going up to try to hold back the indescribable pain, but it was useless. He looked down at his hand and by the light of the moon shining through; he saw the red pouring out.

Genis didn't realize that he had been shot at first; all he knew was the pain and surprise. His mind wouldn't accept the grim reality of what it meant. He only stared down, taking it in, his mind looking for an explanation it could accept. Though his hope could only last so long before the pieces all came together. He tried not to think of the pain, but soon it poured through his body, the blood rushing out in an everlasting wave of red.

Lloyd saw the crimson flowing out, and the fear and pain reflected in Genis' eyes, not knowing how he could help with something like this. He had failed, and he couldn't protect his friend, heck, he couldn't even protect himself. Genis shivered, his mouth agape, looking for words that he was afraid to speak, but Lloyd would know exactly what they meant.

In the wake of the chaos, a mighty calm came over Lloyd, with freedom from the despair and fear. All these were driven out by a desire for vengeance. A determination unbreakable by logic that would tell him all was lost. "Bonah," Lloyd said, summoning his blade. He felt the power flow through him, and remembered the new power he had gotten at the Falls. He touched his hand to the bullet wound, and let the strange magic flow out from his hand. It attached to the wound, and Lloyd could see Genis' pain start to fade though the blood continued to pour out, even as the damage had started to seal.

Genis pulled his hand away, his breaths still heavy. His shoulder still felt like a hundred bricks were shoved into it. He couldn't move it, but the damage was receding. He would be okay.

Or at least that's what he thought until another bullet flew through the car, grazing Lloyd's arm. Some blood fell, and Lloyd felt the sting, but now more than ever, he knew he needed to fight. He leapt from the car, not caring about his own safety, but even as he did so, and saw the guns take aim for him and he knew how stupid he was. But that didn't stop Lloyd, no, that just confirmed that he couldn't run, that there was nowhere safe. He had to fight.

Gripping his blade he swung it through the air creating the demonic slash and sending it at some of the gunmen. The shockwave flew through the air, slicing through the bullets rending them into useless scraps of metal. The attack slammed into them, destroying some of their guns and sending those hit to the ground.

However, being surrounded, Lloyd's attack gave the others the opportunity they needed to ambush him. With guns raised, they fired, their aim dead on. The bullets tore into Lloyd's flesh, three into his back, one into his left arm, and two into each leg. He didn't have time to react or fight back; he only fell to the ground, unconscious before his face hit the pavement.

Genis stared out the window, sure that the images before him were just a nightmare that seemed so horribly real. He tried pinching his arm, waking himself from the dream that this must be. A part of his mind screamed that the pain from him being shot would have taken him back to his bed should this only be a nightmare. He refused to believe the reality before him.

But as he heard Lloyd's scream against the sounds of battle and the silence of the night, he knew how real this was. How every horror he could have dreamt was nothing compared to this. He saw Lloyd's body torn from the battle, blood pouring out in every way, staining even redder his favorite red clothes. Blood coated the road around him, other pieces of flesh strewn about randomly.

And Genis knew that his best friend had to be dead.

Hope demanded that things were never too late to be undone; after all they had their magic on their side. With the pain going through Genis' body, he wasn't sure how well he could fight, but he wouldn't let that stop him. Not when Lloyd had charged so courageously.

Throwing away all thoughts of pain or the health of his body, Genis flew from the car. "Noxap," he said and the flames poured over his arm. As the fire flickered against the blackness of the sky, the gunmen took aim once more. Genis wasn't afraid, more than that, he was driven by the same love that Lloyd was, a love that refused to leave a friend to die, a love that wouldn't die, and one that would face the impossible to keep a friend from falling.

With the fire flowing along his body so fluidly, and the raw ferocity at his command, he fired it into the crowd, hitting some, he knew from their screams; but he couldn't stop there, not when he was still surrounded. He knew that the speed of his fire couldn't match that of the bullets, and he felt several blow by him, one grazing his leg, but he paid it no mind, jumping with an agility like he'd never felt, to keep his opponents' aim off guard as he pelted them with more fire.

One after another fell to his blaze, but a brave soldier ran into the middle of the dancing flames. Genis immediately focused on this foe, building up more fire in his hand to discharge, though he wasn't fast enough. The gunman smacked Genis in the face with the brunt of his weapon. "My ammo may be spent, but we can't allow you to get away," he said as Genis fell on his back. Through the injuries plaguing his body, Genis felt the world spinning, but seeing the gleam of a knife over him, he got back up. Gathering more fire, he readied to strike but not before the pain erupted along his back.

The stinging made him stagger. With a downward glance, he saw the blood flowing out his shirt, and knew he had been shot again, but the pain wasn't as intense, nor as crippling as before.

Was this adrenalin or magic?

He didn't care; he just let the power take him. More fire flowed out in every direction, the gunmen unable to get away as the blaze consumed them. But as Genis watched what he thought would be them burning, they stood there unharmed. Only, another man stood among them.

With a wave of his hand, the fire disappeared.

"Who are you?" Genis demanded.

"Your powers are _not_ almighty," the man answered.

Not satisfied with the answer, anger built up within Genis, it materialized by the fire growing stronger as it wrapped around him. He wouldn't allow this fool to hurt Lloyd and to so arrogantly stand against him. Genis knew the power he had, and he would use it to protect those he held dear.

He shot out several streams of fire at the stranger. Unfazed, the man merely held his hand out and muttered a single word.

"Break."

Suddenly Genis felt searing pain erupt along his shoulder and back, like a fire had been lit inside him. He knew it had to be from the times he had been shot, the wounds that he had managed to push aside so far. This time they came back, a thousand times worse. He fell to the ground, his legs unable to hold him through the torment. Tears flowed down his cheeks, each second becoming more and more excruciating for the young teen. Even with a battle raging around him, he found no will to fight, only hoping for some way to make the pain go away.

"Finish him off," the stranger ordered, and through his own screams, Genis heard a gun click.

…

Lloyd's eyes opened, the sight before him filling him with fury like never before. His best friend laying on the ground, unconscious and bleeding horribly. The soldiers, Lloyd instantly remembered, stood aiming for what had to be the final blow. Lloyd unconsciously summoned and gripped his sword, his vision blurred with hatred.

With a speed Lloyd never knew he had, he was in front of the one he knew to be their leader. Lloyd brought his sword down across his body, severing bone, organ, and whatever else his blade cut.

"Lord Nova!" a soldier or two yelled as their leader reeled back, his blood pouring out uncontrollably.

"How did he?" Nova asked, as he shook out of fear and pain. "I have to retreat, finish him off!" Nova ordered, but Lloyd wasn't going to let him get away so easily.

He gripped his blade, but his ears were drawn to the words of one of the soldiers. "Make another move and your friend is dead." The soldier was at Genis, a gun pointed at the teen's head.

Lloyd had no words for his enemy, only an indescribable hatred as he gripped his sword focusing his power into it and sliced it through the air. "Demonic slash!" The shockwave cut through the air with a supersonic speed.

The soldier never felt the life fade from his body as it was cleaved cleanly in two.

The other gunmen looked on his shock, but soon set their sights for Lloyd, knowing the danger they were in, and at how easily this swordsman could kill.

Gunshots rang out from all around Lloyd, but with nimble movement he evaded the bullets. Guided by instinct he ran at them, running his sword through the stomach of one, the screams not fazing him in the least. He turned, pulling his sword through the man, an arm severed from the corpse. He shot a demonic slash at another one of the gunmen, ending that life as swiftly as the last.

Only two gunmen stood alive after a few more seconds of combat. Lloyd set his sights on them, his bloodied sword still as sharp as ever, and ready to deliver the justice that these people so deserved. "We surrender," the one said dropping his weapon to the ground. He held his hands up and started backing up.

"Do the ones who disrespect life so readily think they deserve such a thing?" Lloyd asked before charging at his foe. Armed or not, Lloyd didn't care, cutting down this enemy just like the others. The final enemy saw this, and raised his gun to fire, hoping that he might somehow escape this destruction, but he didn't even get a single shot off before Lloyd ran his sword through him as well.

Genis saw the last of their enemies fall, Lloyd standing victorious, though blanketed with blood, of both his and the enemies. He'd never seen Lloyd so angry, so willing to kill. It scared him. Lloyd always said all life was sacred, that it should be respected no matter what differences there were between people. So how could Lloyd just kill like that, even after they tried to surrender? It was a slaughter more than self-defense. What kind of person had Lloyd become?

Lloyd began walking to Genis, causing the younger teen to tremble in fear. Would he even remember that they were friends, or in his fury kill him too? Genis closed his eyes, fearing for the worse not wanting to see his friend in such a way any longer.

However, he only felt a gentle touch upon his shoulder, and when he turned to see what had happened, Lloyd was on the ground sleeping beside him. Genis started to say something, but like Lloyd, felt himself consumed with an irresistible desire to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **For those wondering who Nova is, you might want to reread the darkness and light chapters. For those wondering what the heck just happened, you might want to review because reviews can lead to faster updates, and in rare occasions, my updates explain what's going on.

See you soon :)


	19. Chapter 19: Courage and Fear

**A/N: **Sorry this has taken so long to finish. Life has been hard the past few weeks and has took my motivation to write. But even if updates are slow and writing infrequent, I want to continue this story, and eventually finish it. Thanks for all the reviews and support everybody.

Enjoy…

…

**Chapter 19: Courage and Fear**

He woke up as the world spun around him, the hard concrete and light of the sun normally something that would alert him to something out of the ordinary, but right now, he drifted in the land between waking and dreaming, where the strangest of dreams held all the logic of the world. But as always, these images gave way to the reality of a new day. The hard ground below him told him that something wasn't as it should be. He got up in an instant, seeing the road going out in both directions, strangely empty for a highway.

"Where is this?" he asked, before the flurry of memories from the night before game pounding against his mind.

Then, he knew all too well where they were.

As a warm breeze shattered the still air, he felt the air blow through the holes in his clothes from those bullets, but he didn't feel any pain. Upon closer inspection, he could still see the dried blood along his body and clothes, and the bullet holes were a brighter shade of red than the blood, but despite what he knew should be happening, he didn't feel any pain for it. Whatever healing powers Lloyd had, must have been enough to reverse the injuries. He hadn't noticed anything like that before with Lloyd, but they had seen the rest of their powers grow overtime, so this was at least a possibility.

Still, from everything that happened last night, he would have expected some soreness.

Looking at the sights around him, he could see the blood stains from the battle still along the roads along with a few of the bullet shells along the ground but only a fraction of the number that had to have been fired. Beyond that, there was nothing. No bodies, not even the pieces of the car that had to be lying in pieces after that.

Genis got back up to his feet, slowly, expecting his head to start spinning, but to his surprise, he still felt perfectly fine. If it weren't for the fact he woke up in the middle of an abandoned highway, he would have said his day was off to a perfect start.

Though in this world, things were far from perfect. Despite the calmness around him, Genis felt nervous, like he was in the middle of a mastermind's ploy. There was something more, something sinister about this. He could feel the touch of darkness in the air. It felt almost like he was near one of those seals, except this power was more distant, like it had faded. He couldn't figure out why, and what little he could feel of it soon faded.

Genis then thought of Lloyd, and his eyes turned to the road they were laying on, he saw nothing, causing him to worry at first. But after a couple seconds of his heart racing, he saw a glimmer of red off to the side, and turned to see Lloyd sleeping, upside down, against a tree.

"No wonder Raine's punishments can never keep him awake," Genis said smiling for the first time in recent memory. Leave it to Lloyd to make him laugh, to make the worries that bore down so heavily seem so far away, if only for a moment.

He walked over to his friend, sure that they'd need to get out of here sometime soon, and while he hated waking up someone sleeping so peacefully, (even if he had no idea how someone could sleep like that) they had to get out of here. That and waking Lloyd up was a challenge that normally involved blasting rock music from the nearest speaker.

"Lloyd," Genis said, poking his friend in the side. Lloyd only responded trying to bat the hand away. Genis knew that it couldn't be this easy, but didn't want to hurt Lloyd in case his injuries from the night before hadn't miraculously healed. Though with Lloyd upside-down, his stomach was exposed and Genis could see the dried blood like his own body. But even so, there wasn't any evidence of any lasting injuries and Lloyd didn't appear to be in any pain. "Come on, you need to wake up," Genis said a bit louder this time.

"But I don't want to go to school Dad."

"Lloyd, it's me, not Dirk," Genis said and Lloyd slowly opened his eyes, though tried holding his hand up to block the surprisingly bright light of the sun.

"What are you doing upside down," Lloyd asked, noticing that his bed seemed to look a lot like a tree on its side.

"I'm not the one who's upside down."

At this, Lloyd's balance failed him, and he tumbled over, landing face first on the ground and a mixture of confusion and dizziness filling his mind. He blinked a few times, trying to take in his surrondings, while the memories of the past few days came rushing back to him. He then remembered the battle the night before, trying to fight the gunmen, seeing Genis shot. Flashes of himself being shot flew through his mind, so he instinctively tried feeling where he thought the wound should be, but then noticed there wasn't any pain. He then looked to his friend, who seemed to be unhurt from that battle as well.

"What happened?" Lloyd looked around him, seeing the blood stains from the battle, but other than that, it seemed that someone had already removed any evidence it took place. There weren't any bodies, the car was gone.

"You tried to protect me after I was shot, but you didn't last too long either," Genis said. He remembered all too clearly, seeing once more the horror of Lloyd's fall, how his best efforts counted for nothing. "Then I tried fighting, and thought I could stop them." He thought about his concentrated fury, how it felt like he was tapping into powers he never felt to shrug off their bullets. "But then this guy came, and stopped my fire. Then he did something and I felt pain explode all throughout my body. I couldn't do anything and thought we were both going to die."

Looking alongside the road, he could see the signs of the fight that took place after he fell. The scorched earth was a clear sign of Genis' efforts. "Then what happened?"

"You killed them."

"Huh?"

"You don't remember it?"

Lloyd shook his head. "The last thing I remember was going out there trying to fight them while you were in the car."

Genis knew that there was something different about Lloyd back then. The way he heartlessly killed the enemies. Perhaps in self-defense, Lloyd would kill, for those he loved. But to do so without remorse or hesitation?

"Something happened to you then. You were so much stronger than before, no matter what they did you just killed them. A couple of them even tried surrendering." Lloyd looked down at his hands, seeing the blood still on them. He hadn't thought about whose it was, what lives could have been lost beyond he and Genis. "I was scared."

Lloyd fell to his knees, the thought, that he could kill like that not something he could accept. Why? What right did he have to murder? To decide who should live and die? And those who would run, those who would lay down their weapons? If to save Genis, he had to take a life, that might be okay. But to kill those who would flee…that was merely murder.

"I thought you might even kill me."

Lloyd gulped hard and sat alongside the road, wondering if this was all worth it. Why were they doing this? Would it be better to just return home, to forget all this happened and to take whatever punishment awaited them from fleeing the country? Dirk would be pissed, and he was sure Genis would get in trouble with Raine like never before. But that was better than this. If this happened once, it only made sense it could happen again and what if next time the victims were more than those he would call the bad guys? What if it was in a city and bystanders were hurt…or even worse. What if Genis was killed through his recklessness?

"Oh man." Lloyd said at a loss of words.

Genis sat down beside his friend, placing a friend on his shoulder. "You really don't remember any of it?"

"No." Lloyd shook his head, glad that he had amnesia of that event. He couldn't bear to have those visions in his head, of someone having the life fade from them when he knew he was the cause. It was bad enough just hearing about it. "Let's go home." He felt sick to his stomach, wanting to put all this behind him. All this danger, all this adventure, all this fear.

But what if he couldn't? What if it wasn't so easy to run from?

"Do you think we can?"

"What do you mean. It won't be easy but it's probably for the best."

Genis had never seen Lloyd like this, so worried, so nervous. Normally Genis was the one who was afraid, who wanted to stay where it was safe before it was too late. But he couldn't forget his dreams, those where the world was falling apart.

But he also saw Lloyd in those visions. One not so different from the one who killed those gunmen the night before.

If that happened again, would Lloyd return to normal?

He also remembered the reason they did this, to protect Raine and Dirk, and the rest of their friends.

"What if they come after us again when we're at home?" Genis asked, knowing the danger that faced them no matter where they went. "Besides, we're kind of stuck here."

"So what do we do then?" Lloyd asked, feeling utterly defeated.

"Walk to civilization I guess and figure out what to do from there."

…

"They've grown bolder in their attacks, Selena," Rattan said, going through the papers on the enemies movements. "It also appears that Nova has received assistance for the coming battles, something we can only expect will continue to grow."

"Do you believe it's possible to kill him and allow the Order to crumble below him?"

"Doubtful. Even with my power, Lloyd was unable to kill him. And that was without any of his suppression on Lloyd."

"Still, their forces must be dwindling, and one man can only do so much."

"Never underestimate the power of one. Get a team ready at the seal. I will be joining you personally for this one. We've come too far to risk losing everything now."

"Understood Rattan."

…

They hadn't walked five minutes before Lloyd's legs were getting tired. "Man, why did they have to destroy that car. It was so comfortable."

Normally Genis would mention something about how quickly Lloyd got bored, but the tiredness was beginning to wear on him too. Even so he couldn't help but smile. Lloyd seemed to be back to normal. It was as if the night before was only a nightmare. Maybe that was just a one-time thing. But Genis couldn't just push those horrible images aside. His fear and common sense told him to be worried, even as hope wanted to ignore all that.

"Now I'm even hallucinating there is a car sitting in front of us."

Genis had to blink a few times, but hallucination or not, he saw it too. "That might not be a hallucination."

The two of them were suddenly filled with energy and began running, hoping that maybe this was something they could use, or at the very least, would be occupied by someone who would give them a ride to the nearest town. As they got closer, they saw it was a Saturn Vue, one that looked to be in really good condition. Lloyd ran to the driver's side door and discovered it was unlocked, and better yet, it had a full tank of gas and the keys were in the ignition.

"Hop in," Lloyd said while he turned the key, noticing it started up perfectly.

"You sure about this?"

"What could possible go wrong?"

"Knowing us, everything," Genis said, but got in anyway. He'd rather sit in a comfortable car on the way to town than walk anyway. He then noticed a note sitting on the dashboard.

'_I know you're scared, that you're probably still recovering from that last battle. Keep going, remember what, and who, you're fighting for. No matter what dangers come your way, remember you're not alone. You have each other. And while I can't do much to help you now, take this as a gift. I will see you soon._

_Your Guardian Angel.'_

"What do you think we should do?" Genis asked, not sure how much he could trust the kindness of a stranger. Still, they did so with Regal, and he helped them in more ways than he could count.

"I guess just take the gift, but keep our eyes out for anything suspicious."

Lloyd pulled forward, the road before them seeming to merge into a bigger highway. As he merged into the traffic around them, Genis looked behind them, noticing the road closed signs, which would explain why they hadn't seen any other cars in so long. Whoever was after them, either to hurt or help them, hadn't chosen just a random spot to strike.

…

"My lord, they were too much for us. We set the ambush, but Rattan was able to strengthen them enough to defeat us."

"So it seems that this battle is escalating. Very well them, prepare what you have left, I shall be joining you personally at the seal of lightning."

"You will be?"

"Yes Nova, we cannot afford to let them get any further. They must be killed."

"Yes, but is that the place to strike? Who knows how many people will be there?"

"Sadly, we have no other option. It is unfortunate that two who were so young were cause of all this. That is why war is so tragic. To win means to make victims of the opponent and to give birth to hatred. That's why we must end this now."

"Understood my lord."

...

**A/N: **To answer the question those who know the game as well as I do might have...Yes, He will show up next chapter.


	20. Chapter 20: Darkness Lights The Way

**Chapter 20: Darkness Lights the Way**

The next couple hours went by without incident. The cars around them knew nothing of the battles behind them, or the ones that awaited them in the not so distant future. Lloyd kept his eyes focused on the road before him, trying not to let his mind wander, but he couldn't take his mind off it. Would they have to fight at this next seal?

Probably. And if anything, these fights would be the toughest yet. Knowing Selena she'd be there, and with those assassins attacking them the night before, he doubted she'd be the only threat. He wondered, if it came down to it, would he kill again? He didn't remember the battle, and that's what scared him most. He could rationalize taking someone's life to protect him and Genis as a last resort. He'd be haunted by it the rest of his life, but that would be enough. There was a time to defend what was right, a time to look past pure morals to human suffering.

There was a difference in killing someone for the joy of it. It's something that no one should enjoy. But if what Genis said was true, that's what he did. He gripped the wheel tighter, letting his mind wander as he took in all the possibilities.

Would it happen again?

What was it that even happened?

If he could remember it, remember what he was thinking as he did it, then maybe he could calm Genis' fears. Something came over him, took hold of him, and he had no idea what. This next battle…would it happen again?

"Lloyd?"

"Yeah Genis?"

"How much longer do you think this whole thing will take?"

It hadn't been that long for them. Only a few weeks, but these few weeks brought them into more danger than they ever thought they could find.

What if this was only the beginning?

What if it was months, years, before their world could ever return to normal?

What if it never did?

"Soon," Lloyd said. Maybe it was a lie to try to bring them both some calmness, but it was a lie he wanted to believe.

Genis held his palm out, letting a tiny fireball build in it. It still amazed him, at how this just seemed so natural. This magic felt like it had been with him forever. The fire was just an extension of his hand, part of his body and soul.

He grasped the flame and it faded away.

"Did you feel that?" Genis asked.

"What?"

Genis looked out the window and could see it. Against the bright blue sky he could see shades of red fire. It was as if it was a mist, faint images that weren't entirely real. He stared closer, trying to make out any images, but they were too blurry.

"Something bad." He couldn't say anything more, but felt a chill come over his body. He kept staring, but as he did so the blurry images faded into nothing. If it had been a normal day, he would have just dismissed it as his mind playing tricks on him.

"What do you think we should do?

Genis thought for a moment. This was a feeling like before, from the dreams. The feeling of dread that was overwhelming. Still, they couldn't back down, couldn't run away. This wasn't a choice. They had to fight.

"It doesn't matter what I think," Genis said. He wondered what this was leading to. The fear, the tension. They were chosen for something big. But chosen by fate or by chance, he didn't know.

…

They finally made it to the monument, the tourists of the day taking in the sights. The day truly seemed to be a beautiful one. The sun shone overhead reflecting off the granite statues around them. The metal with the names of the fallen shone brightly, a striking remembrance of the light of their sacrifice.

Lloyd and Genis stepped out of the car, doing what they could to avoid suspicion. Genis was constantly on the lookout around them, for anyone who seemed suspicious. A passerby might think he was being paranoid, but he knew that coming here was dangerous, even if he didn't know the exact danger.

"Any idea where the seal is?" Lloyd asked as they walked toward the entrance.

"I'd guess somewhere underground within there."

Lloyd tried to think of the best way to get to it. However, he soon realized that most of ideas needed large amounts of explosives, killer penguins, and the Canadian air force. Neither of these he had available.

However, before Lloyd could ask Genis where the nearest source of killer penguins was, the ground began shaking like an earthquake. The crowds looked around in bewilderment. Fathers shouted for daughters and sons. Mothers began to panic. But nothing could prepare them for what was to come.

Several people looked to the sky, saw a green meteor streak across the blue sky before it plummeted to the earth below. The meteor landed on the car Lloyd and Genis brought there, shattering it to pieces, leaving a small crater in its wake.

"Did that just happen!" Genis yelled. He wondered who could have done this, what it could be. But more than that, he wondered why their cars kept getting destroyed.

Though what curiosity and horror they were feeling was eclipsed by a horrendous creature crawling out of the crater. It stood taller than a person, almost humanoid but had dark purple skin that seemed to radiate with heat. It had wings that had edges like daggers. It held its hand to the sky, and the two of them looked up as the sky itself seemed to glow with fire.

"What's going on?" Genis asked, a tremendous shaking coming over them. His eyes glanced around; more meteors continued falling from the sky. Memories flashed in front of him, of what was, of what would be. Were these the visions of the future he had? The future he swore to not let come to pass.

Lloyd was calmer. He felt the fear. He knew that this could be the end. There was so little they knew, so little they had to go on.

More creatures came out from the craters, horrible distorted bodies, surely not anything from earth. A few of them were humanoid, but taller, muscular, their bodies bright orange, covered with black markings of a language that was unlike anything they knew. Other just as terrifying creatures followed them, wolf like ones whose claws and teeth tore through anything they could, chimeras that flew through the sky, bombarding those they could with fire.

The people fled in droves. Many of them didn't know where they were going, but they saw they couldn't stay here.

The purple creature made its way to Lloyd and Genis and seemed to smile. It's claws tore throught eh ground it walked upon while its wings erupted with fire.

"We have to stop them," Lloyd said.

Genis wondered if they really could. The destruction escalated all around them. He had to wonder if they were the cause of it. They had to be the reason these creatures were attacking. Maybe they should just run. But even if that were the case, surely these things would follow them wherever they went.

Instead of thinking as much as Genis, Lloyd summoned his sword and ran toward the purple creature he knew had to be a demon, figuring he had to start somewhere. He pulled his weapon back, launching a demonic slash through the air.

It collided dead on against the creature, but it merely brushed off the attack, looking up at Lloyd. "Is that all the power you possess?"

"You can talk?" Lloyd asked.

"Wait, I didn't see its mouth move," Genis said.

"You are quite an observant one it seems, Genis," the demon said, but as he had pointed out, without its mouth moving.

"So telepathy."

"What does that mean?" Lloyd asked.

"Hmm…" Genis thought for a moment. If this thing, whatever it was, was using telepathy to communicate with them, that meant that it was likely communicating to the other demons in the same way. And if that were true, it was a good chance that this one was the leader. Between that and its unique physical appearance, Genis was nearly sure of it. That also meant if they could stop this one, the demons would likely retreat. "We have to stop this one."

"Are you so confident Genis? You really think you and Lloyd have the power to match me?"

That made Genis even more certain of this theory. It obviously knew who they were, it came here for them. And that meant that all the destruction was because of them. They'd have to stop this here. Ensure these demons didn't hurt anyone else.

"You don't know who you're messing with," Lloyd said, indignant at the creature. Forgetting the failure of the last attack, Lloyd ran at him. He swung his sword down, the creature only moving his arm up to block the attack. Despite the fact Lloyd was sure the attack would do some damage, his blade merely bounced off the surface of the creature's skin.

Lloyd didn't have time to react as the creature grabbed him by the neck, and held him up, strangling him. He felt the claws dig into his skin while his legs dangled helpless below.

"Do you know who you are human?"

Lloyd tightened the grip on his blade and tried to bring it up, but it was batted away, flying from his grasp. The demon then slammed Lloyd into the ground, stone digging into his body and flying out all around them.

Genis stood back for the few seconds that this exchange took place, not sure if there was a way he could help. Would his attacks do anything when Lloyd's didn't? Was it better to just run now? He looked around, the terror the other demons were causing. Was there any way to get by all of them? And what would happen to those who couldn't get away. What would happen to Lloyd?

He couldn't run away. He had to fight, do something, but what?

The demon leapt back from Lloyd, letting the young swordsman get back to his feet. His body hurt, but he could still stand. He saw his sword a few feet away and eyed the demon before walking to it. There was a time to fight, even when all logic told him to flee. They'd made it this far. He felt flashes of anger pulse through him, felt its power. He blinked, seeing the world through a shade of black for just a moment. Shaking his head, he blinked again and everything returned to normal.

"You are nothing before me!" the demon shouted, his body pulsing with fire "Burn by the flames of destruction." A mighty black flame shot out from the demon's hands, heading straight toward Lloyd. The fire was coming too fast for him to get away or even move at all. Genis saw this, and ran toward the flame, holding his hands out trying to take hold of it. Concentrating his will on it, he moved it hands to the side and the flame heeded his command, moving away from Lloyd. Maybe this would be the attack they needed.

Genis guided the fire back around, it circling through the air before it crashed into the demon. However, the creature just stood there laughing. Genis wasn't content to end with that, he fired several shots of fire of his own at the demon, small explosions going off with each impact. Whatever this thing was, Genis knew he had to destroy it.

"You think you can destroy me with my own fire!"

Genis started to step back, but didn't get far as the demon flew out of the fire straight at him. It pinned him down, his claws scoring Genis' skin. He tried squirming away as he screamed in pain, but didn't have the physical strength to resist. In his panic he looked around for something he could use. He saw a fountain so reached out to the water with the power he gained at the last seal at Niagara Falls. He commanded the water toward him, using that to shove the demon off him.

Now free, he got back to his feet, guiding water around him to protect him from the next attack. The demon glared at him, smoke rising around the creature from the clash of fire and water. Maybe this was the way to beat him. Water could extinguish fire, so Genis' power of water could beat this thing's fire.

"Are you okay Lloyd?" Genis asked running over to his friend, not taking his eyes off the demon for a moment.

"Yeah, what about you?"

"I'll be fine once we get rid of him."

"You have a plan, don't you?"

"Attack when I give you an opening."

Genis then gathered as much water out of the fountain as he could. He unleashed it on the demon, which responded by jumping into the air to avoid the impact. Not content to let him get away, Genis sent the water after him. The demon sent fire down at the water to counter the attack, which dissipated it. However, Genis took advantage of the water vapor the clash caused, turning it back into water and soaking the demon. He then turned it to ice around the demon's wings, robbing it of its ability to fly.

"Now!"

With the demon flying back to the ground powerless, Lloyd ran at it. Genis covered Lloyd's sword with ice. Lloyd leapt at the demon, stabbing the creature with the ice covered sword which pierced its demonic armor. The creature screamed in pain as it contorted, pulling away but oozing green blood at it did so.

"A clever trick," it said, however, it erupted in more dark fire, closing its wound and melting the ice that held its wings. "But that's far from enough power to defeat me!"

"Any other plans?" Lloyd asked.

"Other than run?"

The demon prepared to attack again, but before it could, a powerful pillar of darkness fell from the sky, sending it back into the ground. "That's enough out of you," a stranger said, walking into the fray, holding out his hand holding a sword.

"You're here now?" the demon said, leaping out of the pillar and rushing at the stranger. The man's sword was ready as he parried the demon's attack, knocking him to the ground with the blunt end of his weapon.

"It's time for you to return from where you came."

Unleashing a dark pulse from his hand, the stranger vaporized the demon, turning him into nothing more than smoke.

Lloyd and Genis looked on, pondering what they just saw. Who was this man? Where did he come from?

The demons turned to face him, their weapons drawn.

"This is over." A multitude of dark beams fell from the sky, falling upon each demon. The power from them nearly blew Lloyd and Genis off their feet as if a great storm was blowing in while the entire area went black as night. As the darkness cleared they saw that that not a demon remained from the attack.

"Who…who are you?" Lloyd asked, his weapon nearly falling from his hand at this man's power. If this truly was an enemy, could he do anything to stop him?

"You're friend has seen me before."

Genis' eyes were then open to the visions he saw in his dreams. This was his guide, the one who led him here.

"Wait…it can't be."

"It's good to finally see you in person, Genis."

"Wait, you know him?" Lloyd asked.

Genis looked to his friend and back to this stranger. He had a thousand questions for this person who seemed to know far more of this crazy situation. Why them? Why now? What next? Why only appear here?

Perhaps this was when he could finally get some answers. "Who exactly are you?"

"My name is Rattan. I was like you once, called to the seals of old by instinct and the power they had. I didn't know what fate had in store for me then, the task I was called to do. In fact, even now I'm still learning about the path fate had established for me."

"Which was?" Lloyd asked.

"To guide the saviors of the world with my gift. As you've seen, each seal bestows us a great power, but it's something far greater than most men can handle. However, you have been chosen to wield all of these powers, to fend off the evil like those demons that attacked this place here. That's why I've used my powers to guide Genis through his dreams."

"Wait, that's us?" Lloyd asked, echoing the questions Genis had as well. Genis knew there was more to it than that. He'd seen in those dreams the destruction that was coming. It made sense that this was somehow related to the seals they were releasing. But how? If it was true that there were others like them, who had the power of the seals, what made him and Lloyd so different?

"Why are we different than you?" Genis finally asked.

"It's because of the great power when they are combined. You hold the power of both fire and water. Before you no one has been able to hold the power of more than one at a time. Some have tried, but they still bear the scars from such danger.

"But because you have each other to share the power, you have endured thus far." Rattan looked to the memorial where everyone had fled from. "And you have been chosen to receive the power that lies here as well."

Lloyd and Genis followed Rattan's gaze, only to see Selena standing there, her sword already out. Lloyd retrieved his weapon, and after seeing the damage the demons had left behind, those they had hurt, and a few they had killed, he never wanted to be too weak to protect everyone ever again. He gripped his sword, and turned to Genis. "You ready?"

Genis gathered a flame in his hand. They had fought Selena before, barely got away from her. But seeing a motivation far greater, Genis knew they had to win. She wouldn't stand against them ever again.

"She won't stop us anymore."

…

**A/N: **That chapter got a bit off track, but everything is lining up nicely now. I plan to keep my promises about finishing this story, but I won't say the next chapter will be here soon…


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